Tethers
by Skud PaiSho
Summary: Original story about Avatar Kyoshi's journeys through the Earth Kingdom after the defeat of Chin the Conqueror. I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra, the stuff this story is built from, which is why this is on fanfiction. Rated T for possible violence. There will be no foul language or anything else to warrant higher than K rating, just like the show.
1. Chapter 1

Spring air. The promise of a perfect sunset behind the pink blossoms. The smell of fresh lava hardening against the breeze. Victory.

Kyoshi Island was born. Like a newborn infant, tears slid down its face, and there was much rejoicing. The people not only rejoiced for themselves, but for the entire Earth Kingdom. Chin the Conqueror was no more. His reign in the land would fall with him, the Avatar had said.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"What now, Kyoshi?"

"We wait until the time is right, Li-Sang, and rebuild this kingdom."

Kyoshi looked down the jagged cliff and into the water below. Smoking lava was hardening on the cliffside, and she replayed the scene in her mind. She had killed a man, split her home from the mainland, and used every drop of power she had to sail a landmass into the sea. _Such power. Who else has held lava in their hands? Who has told the earth to sail away?_

"Who knows how much work it will be to restore the damage Chin has done. The sooner we begin, the better. We will make this right," Kyoshi said, turning to Li-Sang.

The young woman's earthen-green eyes matched Kyoshi's, and what she lacked in height, she made up for in beauty. If anything, Kyoshi was most proud of her success in protecting women like Li-Sang. She was a member of the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of women Kyoshi had trained in self defense. When Li-Sang proposed the name for the group, Kyoshi was flattered, but hoped it wouldn't stick. The group wasn't about her, after all. But when the rest of the girls cheered at the recommendation, she couldn't stop it.

"I want to help you, Kyoshi. I want to travel with you and help make things right."

Some people want to join the Avatar for the thrill and the pride. Others were sincere. Like Li-Sang.

"I know."

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"Welcome to the first annual Kyoshi Day! Welcome," Dahst announced, beaming at his friends with outstretched arms, "to Kyoshi Island!"

Everybody cheered. As Dahst was raising his bowl of fresh mango juice, beckoning the crowd to do the same, he was yanked away by someone rushing past his other arm.

"Dahst, please! What are you doing?" hissed Kyoshi as she planted herself out of earshot of the crowd.

"What? We all love you, Kyoshi!" He replied, reaching his hands up to her shoulders, trying to calm her. "We must celebrate today's victory."

"You would rejoice in death coming through my hands?" Her eyes were wet.

Dahst breathed. He spoke without words, his eyes whispering as they danced with Kyoshi's. He rubbed her shoulder. "Our people were saved today. It was the only way."

"It all happened so fast." Kyoshi coughed trying to hold back her tears. She hugged Dahst tightly. He braced himself as always, trying not to fall.

"It's okay. We stand behind what happened today."

She exhaled through her mouth. Dahst knew she was overwhelmed at the events of the day. She wouldn't let others see this side of her, and he counted himself lucky to be the one she came to.

"I love you, Kyoshi," he whispered to his wife.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"Daddy!" Kyoshi heard as she followed Dahst into the hut. She watched as Koko tottered towards Dahst and wrapped her arms around him. He swept her off the ground and into his arms.

"Oh, honeyfly, there you are!" Koko's legs kicked the air as Dahst hugged her and lowered her to her feet. "Where's your brother?"

Koko turned away to face nobody in particular. "Gramma!"

Kyoshi met Dahst's eyes and shared a laugh as an older woman walked in from the other room. Dahst's mother was strong for her age. Known affectionately as Gran to the entire village, she was a mother to all.

"Well, Suhnd, go on and get him," she said to the young boy slipping off his grandmother's shoulders. He hit the ground and ran to Kyoshi.

"Mom, did you save us?" he asked as he grabbed for her hand.

"Of course I did, Suhnd. While Gran was watching you, your father and I made sure those mean men would never come back."

A look of victory grew over him. "Did you kill the Chin man?"

Kyoshi opened her mouth to speak, but Dahst replied first. "Suhnd," he began, kneeling to see eye to eye with his son. He sighed. "We must not rejoice in the death of anyone. When Chin decided to keep doing very bad things to the people of the Earth Kingdom…" Dahst shifted slightly, considering his words. "Suhnd, the good news we can celebrate is that the evil that threatened us is gone. Chin did bad things, but it would have been much better if he turned from his bad ways and did good instead."

"Oh…" Suhnd replied. Clearly he was thinking about what his father had just said.

"Remember, son. Good and bad are at war inside us all. It is not about killing the bad guy; it is about killing the bad inside of us so that good will prevail."

"Do you think the Chin man could have been good?"

Kyoshi knelt down to address her son. "Chin had power over many people, Suhnd. He should have used his power to help those people. But he chose to do evil instead, even after we asked him to do good."

"I want to do good and help people, Mom. I want to be like you." Suhnd wrapped his arms around Kyoshi's waist, and she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Suhnd. Our village needs boys like you to lead us." A confident boy smiled back at her. She traded glances with Dahst and knew to change subjects. "Suhnd, Koko, sit down, there's something we need to talk about."

Kyoshi's mind sifted through her thoughts as her family sat on the floor around the table. The feeling that Chin and his army had expanded as far throughout the kingdom as they had because she was at home with her family was inescapable. Every day, the smiling faces of her growing daughter, her maturing son, and her loving husband anchored her to this village she called home. But now was the time to leave.

"Now that Chin is defeated, your father and I will have to leave home and travel throughout the Earth Kingdom to help restore balance. You two will have to stay here in the village." Kyoshi waited for their response.

Koko hung her head. "Mommy, will Gran stay with me?"

Gran wrapped an arm around Koko. "Little dear, don't worry. Of course I'll take care of you."

"Do I get to lead the village while you're gone?" Suhnd said quietly with his eyes wrinkled up in thought, as if he had been working at solving a riddle.

Dahst looked to Kyoshi and back to Suhnd. "Now son, you might be a little too young for something like that." At his father's words, Suhnd's shoulders fell a little. "So you won't be leading the village all by yourself-" and Suhnd's eyes widened as he looked up, "-because you'll be working with the Kyoshi Warriors for that."

"I-," he began. "You mean, I will help the Warriors really lead the village?"

Kyoshi met her son's eyes, "I believe in you, Suhnd. You will help them greatly. Can you do it?"

"I can do it."

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Li-Sang ducked and spun left under Tarala's outstretched arm. As she swept her leg behind her opponent's, she blocked another blow with her full arm, hoping to have momentum on her side. But it wasn't the case. As Tarala twisted out of her hold, Li-Sang toppled forwards on to the practice mat.

"That was a close one," Tarala smirked down at her. She held out her arm to help her up. "Good work, Li-Sang."

"Thanks," Li-Sang laughed. She took Tarala's hand, began to upright herself, but suddenly yanked Tarala down to the ground. Tarala let out a quick gasp of surprise as she landed on the mat near Li-Sang.

"Ha. You got me," she said before letting out a sigh.

The light that sprayed onto the ceiling and walls from the morning sun was brilliant. The spring air, the sound of the village's new location - an island in the middle of the sea, it was home now. It was the same, but different. The same home, refreshed by Kyoshi's incredible defeat of Chin the Conqueror. And soon she would be leaving again.

"I'm going to leave the village and travel with Kyoshi."

"I knew you wouldn't stay here forever, Li-Sang," Tarala said. Li-Sang turned to look at her friend. She was laying with her hands under her head as she looked up at the ceiling, but she seemed to smile at Li-Sang's glance. "Don't worry, I think you'll do great. I'd be jealous, but this is my home more than it is yours–I mean, I grew up here and you didn't. I'm content staying right here."

"Part of me doesn't really want to go. I've been scared to leave ever since Kyoshi took me in, you know," Li-Sang said it knowing Tarala had heard it all before. "But I feel like it's time."

Tarala didn't reply. There wasn't a need to. Not on this spring day shared between friends. In the silence, Li-Sang flipped through memories in her mind. Tarala had been the leader of the group of women that became known as the Kyoshi Warriors ever since Li-Sang first met Kyoshi just over a year ago. How Tarala was so skilled, Li-Sang didn't know. She was a few years younger than Li-Sang, but it had always seemed like Tarala was a master in combat and training, not to mention a natural leader.

"You'll do great keeping watch over the village, Tarala," Li-Sang said as she pushed herself off the ground and to her feet. "Now, I think I have some kids to say goodbye to." She offered a smile and headed towards the door.

Tarala didn't move from the floor, but called after her. "Be careful, I think Suhnd is in love with you!"

"I've already told him he's a bit too young!" Li-Sang laughed back her usual response. Li-Sang smiled at the joke she shared with her friend. _It's how we say goodbye_.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Morning rose without much notice. The brightness of the sky was veiled by clouds. Dahst allowed a cool breeze to whisper past his face as he let the air escape his chest. Not everything was going to change today. But it was the day they would face what the world was coming to. Had he let Kyoshi stay home in this village for too long? Surely the civil wars across the kingdom would be growing more severe than they had last heard.

Dahst turned away from the window, his eyes slowly crossing the room. The soft gray glow of the morning cast an eerie light into the small, already gray room. He caught his own breathing matching Kyoshi's chest slowly rising and falling as she slept in the bed across the room. He let himself sit down on the bench next to the window, just to embrace the moment. His chest rising. And falling.

Kyoshi loved this place. Her home. Their home. Their children. Their village. Their life. Together. Could she really be ready to leave? They had prepared for this, of course, so she had been so calm when telling the children of their plans to go. But Kyoshi was the Avatar. Starting a family had always been a tough decision, and now there was nothing she loved more. Suhnd was old enough to be left at home in Gran's care, to be sure, but Koko was still so young. There was no reason to worry, but even knowing that, Dahst couldn't help but think that Kyoshi was having a hard time with leaving her.

Dahst silently sighed thinking of the challenge that would come today. Surely he would have some convincing to do. Not one of talking Kyoshi into leaving on their journey, but of opening up and admitting her attachment to everything she was leaving. Nothing meant more to her than this. _Except me_.

A soft rustling from the bed caught Dahst in the midst of his thoughts. Kyoshi's head turned and her eyes slid open, not for a moment unlinked with Dahst's stare. He smiled at her beautiful face. The curve around her strong chin gave shape to her face while her delicate lips, nose, and eyes pushed everything else out of his mind, as always. She swept away a strand of dark hair that had fallen in front of one of her eyes. Dahst saw her in a way nobody else did. Did others take the time to see that her hair wasn't even truly black? He was well acquainted with the faint shade of brown that lightened it ever so slightly. The first impression of Kyoshi, the tall and strong woman, had melted over the years and the depth of her beauty had been added.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Kyoshi woke to a familiar sight. Dahst was sitting on the bench near the window of their bedroom looking into her eyes. Today was the day they had prepared for. And this was the day she pushed out of her mind ever since starting their family. How could she leave them? Nothing meant more to her than her kids and her village. So why did she have to go?

"We shouldn't waste much time this morning. It's best we get going soon," she said to Dahst after brushing a hair from in front of her eyes.

"You're ready to get going, then?"

 _No_. "Yes, we must not delay."

His voice softened. "Kyoshi, it's okay for today to be hard." When she didn't reply, he walked towards the bed as he continued. "We'll have Li-Sang with us. She's practically family. And the other women will spoil Suhnd and Koko far more than we ever do." He offered his arm, and Kyoshi held on as he pulled her up from the bed into a hug. As always, her head rested slightly higher than his as they stood together. "Before you know it, we'll be back right here."

"As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine." _Except I won't have my home, or the kids_. "It's been so long since I've really been away… since I've really been the Avatar," Kyoshi said as she stood up straight and sighed. "I just hate change. But today's the day. Let's get going."

She led Dahst into the sitting room. As they walked, the smell of breakfast greeted them like any other day. Kyoshi instinctively smiled at the smell of home in the morning.

Kyoshi saw Gran's head peek out from the other room and quickly disappear again. "Eggs and toast! Who'll eat the most?" Gran called from the kitchen.

"I eat the most!" she heard Suhnd's voice reply. _Oh, that I didn't have to leave them._

Kyoshi was jarred from her thoughts as a knock on the door came from outside. Before she even fully turned towards the door, Kyoshi saw familiar fingers wrapped around the door, pushing it open slightly.

"Good morning in there," Li-Sang's voice called. "I'm coming in!"

Li-Sang peeked her head inside before entering and gently closing the door behind her. Kyoshi smiled as she let what would happen next play out in her mind.

"Li-Sang, Li-Sang!" Suhnd's voice grew louder as he rushed from the kitchen to the door and wrapped his arms around Li-Sang before she had even turned from closing the door.

Li-Sang bent her knees to lower herself to face Suhnd and greet him sweetly. "Well hello Mr. Suhnd, how are you today?"

"You're going away with Mommy and Daddy," Suhnd said, folding his arms across his chest, smiling. "And I'm going to take care of the village with Tarala when you're gone."

Li-Sang tousled the hair on Suhnd's head. "Well then this village will be safe, won't it?" And she put her hand on his shoulder. "You'll do a great job, Suhnd." She returned his smile. "We'll miss you, but we'll be back soon."

Kyoshi met Li-Sang's eyes as she walked farther into the room with Suhnd at her side. A quick nod and a near smile shared between them was all the greeting Kyoshi could offer before Dahst entered the room with Koko on his shoulders.

"Look who's awake?" He announced as he lowered Koko down, setting her feet on the ground. "And, Gran has breakfast ready at the table," he added, ushering the party towards the kitchen.

When Kyoshi reached the kitchen, Suhnd and Koko had already found seats at the table with Dahst. Whether Dahst or Suhnd had helped Koko into her chair, Kyoshi couldn't tell. While parenting was hard work, and certainly had given her an excuse to stay in her village instead of traveling the Earth Kingdom during the current civil wars, she was waking up to the fact that she couldn't stay here any more. Suhnd was quickly becoming more mature, even to the point of helping around the house and caring for his sister. And, of course, Gran was more than capable of taking care of the kids. The Kyoshi Warriors always offered their help, too. _Everything will be fine. I am free to go. To be the Avatar again._

Li-Sang's voice brought Kyoshi's mind back to the table. "Gran, this smells delicious," Li-Sang said as she filled her plate. "Thank you so much for breakfast."

"Of course, dear," Gran said, smiling. "It's all because I knew you were coming, naturally."

Dahst chuckled. "We're right here, Mum. Can't you tell Li-Sang that she's your favorite in private?"

"It's not my fault that Li-Sang is everyone's favorite around here." Gran said, waving her hand to dismiss Dahst's comment and winking at Suhnd. "I make that joke whenever I can. Just let me have my fun. And remember to have seconds. Suhnd thinks he can eat the most."

"Eggs and toast, I'll eat the most!" Suhnd laughed. Kyoshi couldn't help but laugh at her son's smiling face. It was contagious, apparently, because everyone else laughed as well.

Breakfast continued as it had begun. Kyoshi basked in the moments of laughing, smiling, and being with her family. Her children were growing up so fast, and she let the scene tie things down in her mind. She was ready to go. Her family would be safe. Suhnd, Koko, and Gran staying here in the village with the protection of the island. And Dahst and Li-Sang going with her. She would protect them.

When they had finished eating, Gran insisted that Kyoshi, Dahst, and Li-Sang gather their things and prepare for their departure. As they double checked their packs by the door, Kyoshi was focused more on the sounds of the kids helping Gran clean up in the kitchen than on the journey ahead.

But Dahst had everything handled. Their packs were ready and he was leaning on his staff. "That's everything for us. Li-Sang?"

"I'm all set, too." Li-Sang sighed as she said the words.

Kyoshi met Li-Sang's eyes and saw the young woman's hesitation. And she wasn't surprised when the flustered Li-Sang initiated a hug. Kyoshi let out a sigh herself and patted Li-Sang's back.

"Thank you, Kyoshi. Avatar Kyoshi." As Li-Sang addressed Kyoshi as such, she looked up. "I wouldn't be able to leave here like this without you. I-Well I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I never imagined leaving again."

It took a moment for Kyoshi to find her voice. "You are strong, Li-Sang. You know that you are family to us now." _And you know that we'll protect you._

"You'll be safe with us, Li-Sang," Dahst added. "And, if this goes according to plan, then our trip shouldn't be too… _exciting,_ " He said as he patted his staff.

"Looks like it's time to say goodbye," Gran said as she entered the room with the kids at her side. Kyoshi fought the words as they crawled through her ears, wanting to be heard.

Dahst promptly hugged Gran and the kids to say his goodbyes, and Kyoshi followed.

"Thank you for everything, Mother," he said to Gran before kneeling down to the kids. "Suhnd, you do your best to take care of those Kyoshi Warriors while we're gone. And make sure they spend plenty of time playing with your sister!" When he turned to Koko, he grabbed her and stood up. "I'll miss you lots, honeyfly. But we'll be back soon and Gran will take good care of you."

Kyoshi took Koko from Dahst, to hug her and set her back down next to Suhnd. "I love you two, and I'll miss you so much." No other words came. No other words were as true.

As Kyoshi stood, Gran pulled her into a hug and then offered a serious smile. "Behind every Avatar, there's a good Gran." She said it with such moxie that if it wasn't already true, it was now. "And you're a great Avatar. It's time this kingdom heard from you again. I'm proud of you. And don't worry about a thing while you're gone."

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

With not a hug too many from the family, Li-Sang followed Dahst and Kyoshi to the small harbor to the west of the village. Stepping foot outside the village felt foreign. Until only recently, home had never referred to an island. Li-Sang shuddered to think of the collection of places she had called home. But as they walked, the island felt sure of itself. It was as if the peninsula had always wanted to swim away from the shore, and Kyoshi had given it permission.

The harbor was as it had always been. There were three old docks with small boats attached. The wooden boats were small and unkept, but they appeared to be in working order. There was another boat past the original three that rested on a small patch of ground that jutted out from the shore. It looked like it had jumped out of the water and landed there to be taller than the other boats that rested in the water.

"Well," Dahst said. He was leaning on his tall staff as he looked to Kyoshi and Li-Sang. "Here we are."

But Kyoshi never stopped walking as Dahst spoke. She stopped in front of the boat resting atop the land. Li-Sang noticed Kyoshi strengthen her stance before thrusting her arms out and up into the air. As she did, ground appeared along the sides of the boat. _Looks like this is the boat we'll be taking_.

"We start by heading north," Kyoshi said to both Li-Sang and Dahst. But she was looking at Li-Sang. "Back to the mainland." She thought for a moment and looked back toward the sea, then continued. "Hopefully the citizens are anxious to help rebuild, as we are, now that Chin has been defeated. We'll help in the villages we travel through on our way to Ba Sing Se. It's possible we may be needed there the most." Dahst nodded to that and began stepping into the boat, laying his staff and packs in first.

Kyoshi entered the boat behind Dahst, leaving room for Li-Sang in the front. She gently nudged her pack beneath the wooden seat and sat down. Thankful that the small boat felt sturdier than the others looked, she turned to Dahst and nodded. "I'm ready." He smiled and returned the nod, and turned around to Kyoshi.

As Li-Sang braced herself in her seat, she felt the warmth of the morning sun reaching higher. Her shadow danced amid sparkles in the shallow water in front of her. With a low rumble, the boat's nose fell towards the water and the ground underneath shifted and flattened. Li-Sang's fingers went tight and pulled her close against the seat at the sudden motion. The boat slowly stepped away from the shore, and Li-Sang turned her head to see Kyoshi's arms raised and a low wave propelling the boat forward. Moment by moment, the shore behind Kyoshi slowly faded.

 _The shore_ , Li-Sang sighed as she turned to face the oncoming sea. She was leaving the safety of Kyoshi's village. But Kyoshi and Dahst were here. There was nowhere safer than under the wing of the Avatar herself. Kyoshi was protective and able to protect. Wise and able to guide. A hero to the helpless. A teacher to those willing to devote themselves to study and practice. _And I have a lot to learn. But she trusts me to make this journey with her_. Li-Sang turned again to watch Kyoshi in action. Slow, graceful movements bending the water around the boat as they sped forward.

"Li-Sang," Dahst leaned in to make eye contact. "What do you expect we'll encounter once we reach shore?"

Li-Sang felt her face wrinkle as the question sank in. She was struck by both the serious question and the eye contact with Dahst. Though she was comfortable enough with him now, it took time throughout the past year to accept it. Trust in men was hard to muster.

"Kyoshi had been hoping you would join us when the time came," he continued, but broke eye contact and looked past her into the distance. "And I hoped so, too. You have a strong heart. The kids love you. You really have become family. We're proud to see you so eager to join us today." Dahst turned to Li-Sang's eyes again and gave a quick smile before resuming his serious tone. "Now, tell me. What do expect we'll face as we travel the Earth Kingdom?"

 _Well, I expect to face myself, for one_. She searched for an answer. "I expect we'll be helping people regain control of their villages. Now that Chin is defeated, I hope I can help you and Kyoshi restore those villages."

Dahst nodded. "Chin is gone, but I suspect his army is still spread throughout the kingdom. Remember your training with the Kyoshi Warriors. You understand that you may very well need to use those skills, correct?"

"I do," she replied, the words coming slowly. "But I have a lot more training to do if I want to be as good as some of the other Warriors."

Kyoshi's arms halted and the boat slowed as Kyoshi entered the conversation. "You're strong, Li-Sang. You're progressing as well as anyone in training with the Warriors. Whatever we face on this journey, know this: you have what it takes."

The responsibility weighing down her shoulders didn't quite lift, but Li-Sang felt herself sit a little taller at Kyoshi's words. Turning again to the sea in front of them, she couldn't stop the corners of her lips from curling upwards towards her reddening cheeks. As the shore ahead drew near, Li-Sang was only thinking of how proud she was to be with the two heroes seated in the boat behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

From the water, the face of the mainland looked like a fresh wound. Scabs scarred the rocky cliffside that jutted out into the sea. Something in Kyoshi's stomach lurched at the sight. Chin The Conqueror's attack on her village just days ago replayed in her mind. She was the only reason the village was safe then, and now she had left. Home, her children, and those she pledged to protect were left in the village without her. Home may have been behind her, but it would never leave the front of her mind. The Earth Kingdom was in pieces, and she needed to put it together again. The Avatar's duty called whether she liked it or not.

As the boat veered east towards the sun, Kyoshi's attention snapped back to the task at hand. The fluid movements of her waterbending to propel the boat were relaxing at first, but the journey to the mainland had taken nearly all morning. Kyoshi slowed the boat's pace to rest and survey the cliffside. They had left from the only docks near home. Docks that were now part of Kyoshi Island. Noticing a spot of the cliff that wasn't quite as steep, she returned to propelling the boat with her waterbending.

"There," Kyoshi said to the others with a free hand, pointing ahead of them. "We'll scale the cliffs there. We'll visit the nearest village. It isn't too far north."

Li-Sang turned to look where Kyoshi had pointed. Then she turned back to Kyoshi, who watched Li-Sang's eyebrows sink and her mouth fall open.

Dahst chuckled and glanced at Kyoshi before addressing Li-Sang. "You'll only have to hold on tight. Don't worry."

The girl's teeth showed as her mouth widened into a smile. She closed her eyes, chuckled quietly to herself, and nodded. "I did not think about that one."

Kyoshi smiled as they approached the cliffs. Li-Sang's little smile was contagious, and the girl's eyes betrayed her wonder. Kyoshi expected Li-Sang to be excited to see more bending in action, and looked forward to the climb ahead of them. Li-Sang may have never even seen any advanced earthbending like this before. Life in their village was peaceful and slow. There was little need for bending during normal life. But facing Chin had meant feeling the rush of the Avatar State again for the first time in so long. The energy. The power. The glow. It was all a reminder of her duty. She had neglected it for too long, always torn between the world of her home and family and the world beyond it. As it always had, the Avatar State called forth that sense of duty. And now their journey had begun.

Kyoshi halted the boat, closed her eyes and steadied herself. When she was confident in her energy and stance in the shaky boat, she jerked her arms forward, clenched her fists tight, and snapped her arms back towards her. An earthen slab jutted out of the cliffside towards them, the flat top of it reaching just barely above the water. The platform sent a wet spray into the boat, nearly soaking the others seated in front of Kyoshi. Li-Sang and Dahst recoiled at the cold splash of the waves.

"Perhaps a warning next time, dear wife," Dahst said calmly before turning towards Kyoshi with a wide smile. Past him, Li-Sang simply wiped her face, shook her head back and forth, and wiped away excess water from her shoulder length hair.

"Dahst, you look a bit wet," Kyoshi started. His jaw dropped slightly as his expression froze. He braced himself against his seat as a quick, graceful wave of Kyoshi's arms sent a blast of air into him. Li-Sang laughed and gripped the edge of the boat as the air returned to its original light breeze.

Dahst sighed, smiled, and said, "And I did not think about that one."

Kyoshi motioned towards the newly formed earthen platform and held the boat steady as Li-Sang stepped out onto it, followed by Dahst. After handing Dahst his combat staff and all their packs and supplies, she guided the boat up against the cliffside. Kyoshi channeled her energy with a few quick motions, and the boat was resting on its own earthen shelf next to Dahst and Li-Sang's platform. From there, Kyoshi stepped out of the boat and joined them. Li-Sang beamed with anticipation as Kyoshi met her eyes and returned the smile.

Dahst gave Kyoshi a nod, raised his staff, and thrust one end at the ground. At Kyoshi's command, the earth reached up and solidified the staff in its grip. He held the staff steady.

"Hold on, Li-Sang," he instructed. She gripped the staff and firmly planted her feet on the earthen ledge.

Kyoshi widened her stance next to the others and stood parallel to the cliffside. Collecting her energy inside herself she focused on the rocky wall that towered above them, feeling the earth through her boots. With a long inhale, she felt the same wind that lightly flicked at her dress as it beat against the cliffs above them. The energy was hers to control as an extension of herself and the earth becoming one.

Opening her eyes and moving with strong hands, the energy rushed through her and lifted their platform of rock from the water and bade it to ascend the cliffside. Up with her arms, up with the climbing pedestal as she spoke the strong and rugged language of the earth. The rocks and dirt and earth sifted, rolled, and combined as their ledge lifted itself higher and higher, willing itself to climb the cliffside for them at Kyoshi's expert command. The satisfying sounds of the rumbling earth encouraged Kyoshi as she continued the bitter work of guiding the land to go where it never could without her. Over and over, until they reached the top.

The same old look appeared on Dahst's proud face as she released his staff from the ground. He didn't need words to tell her all that he did with that look. So proud of her in everything, his was the face of the home Kyoshi loved so dearly. She may have had to leave a lot to embark on this journey, but she brought the best of it all with her. And Li-Sang's eyes, wide with wonder, thanked Kyoshi for the ride without words as well. Li-Sang turned her head and looked past Kyoshi, so Kyoshi turned with her. From the top of the cliff, the sea felt so small and so big all at once. And the space that held her home just days ago seemed to have disappeared into a vast expanse of air and sea. They had entered the Earth Kingdom's mainland. It was time to get to work.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

It was the perfect setting for a kiss. Before turning to leave the cliffs, Dahst couldn't resist sharing the moment with his wife.

Together, they silently looked out at the sea. Apart from Chin's attack on their village, it had been a while since he had seen Kyoshi exert this kind of energy in her bending. He was glad that she was handling leaving home so well. It had always been a struggle to discuss this day in the past.

"So," Li-Sang interrupted and cleared her throat. "Are we heading towards the village nearby?"

It wasn't the first time Li-Sang ever had to interrupt a moment between Kyoshi and him. Dahst chuckled before replying. "I suppose we could get going. Let's split up these packs so I don't have to carry it all." He ended with a quick wink to Kyoshi.

With their supplies gathered and his trusty staff in hand, they headed away from the cliffs. It was odd, seeing the same forest and mountains in the distance, but with their home now so far away.

He pointed towards the treetops of the forest past the grassy hills and plains in front of them. "Straight that way."

As they began walking, Kyoshi spoke. "I believe Chin and his army have conquered much of the Earth Kingdom." Dahst could sense the guilt in her voice. "I have been away from the world for too long. And with Chin defeated, his control will fade as well. But we must stop his army from continuing their conquest. The cities of the Earth Kingdom will need support as they recover from this."

"Do you think we have any chance at getting the Earth King to help us?" Dahst stopped walking and leaned against his staff to ask the question. But he already knew the answer.

Kyoshi halted as well. Her eyes were fixed as she answered. "Even in my childhood, people from every village would complain and speak ill of the Earth King. And he truly does seem to care only for himself and those around him in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, as they would say."

At words such as these, Dahst half expected Kyoshi to turn and spit. It would not have been unjustified. "You're right. Unless the conflict threatened the walls of Ba Sing Se or knocked on the palace door, he would avoid it." Not knowing what else to say, Dahst sighed, picked up his staff, and began walking again.

After passing one of the larger nearby hills, something caught Dahst's eye. A handful of tents were set up between a few of the low hills that covered the area. The village was still a ways off. It couldn't be too far but it was still out of sight. Dahst's eyes widened as he recognized the flags that were raised above a few of the larger tents as the breeze tossed them gently around their anchors. Chin's army had formed a settlement here after Kyoshi's battle with him. Dahst's fingers tightened around his staff as he stopped to get a better look. His eyes wrinkled in thought. Were the soldiers waiting here planning a second attack even with their leader gone?

Dahst turned to see Kyoshi and Li-Sang stopping behind him. He could tell that Kyoshi was focused on the tents as well. "What do we do, Kyoshi?"

But there wasn't time to respond. From their camp, some men had spotted them and were gathering others. They shouted and pointed towards where Dahst, Kyoshi, and Li-Sang were standing. A few men rushed towards them from the edge of their camp, while others threw shouts of panic into the air.

While Kyoshi drew her fans and took up a stance, Dahst grabbed Li-Sang by the arm and led her out of harm's way. Her eyes went wide as he spun his staff in front of them to prepare for battle in case it came. Li-Sang wasn't incapable, but his instincts begged him to protect her.

Dahst felt his energy rise with his heart beat, an old familiar feeling that brought a confident smile to his lips. A group of three soldiers grew closer, and he could tell by her subtle movements that Kyoshi was preparing. She was waiting for just the right time.

Before the rushing soldiers could attack, Kyoshi moved. Her right foot slid, matching a small motion of her arm, and the soldier coming towards Dahst was tripped by a small mound of earth that had nipped at his heels. Kyoshi jabbed her arm forward to send a ball of fire towards the other two men. They were thrown off by the attack. One soldier was knocked down but the other dodged it easily. He quickly rooted himself, ripped a boulder from the earth, and hurled it towards Kyoshi. She stepped into the attack and punched at it with a fan, reducing it to dust that fell to the ground before reaching her.

As Dahst watched the man move to attack again, a blast of air held the soldier back, and the earth beneath his feet grabbed his ankles and knocked him backwards. As he fell, a pair of short earthen pillars rose up and encased his wrists and hands. Dahst looked back at Kyoshi, who began to approach the soldier she had suspended in rocky shackles.

"Don't move," she threatened the man before waving a fan in a slashing motion across the ground in front of her. A thin, red line formed in the ground as it gave way to liquid rock, a line drawn to separate them from the soldiers, "or those rocks around your wrists will melt." Kyoshi closed her fans with a snap and tucked them back into her waistband.

The man quivered as he craned his neck from the odd position he was stuck in. He gave a slight nod and breathed in deep breaths. Dahst looked past him and saw the other soldiers begin to get up, but they stayed close to the ground with their hands facing outward so as not to threaten the Avatar.

Dahst turned and nodded to Li-Sang, who looked rather impressed at Kyoshi's feat of subduing the three attackers, and the two slowly made their way back to Kyoshi's side.

"What do you want with us?" One of the soldiers with free hands asked.

"As long as you remain loyal to Chin The Conqueror, you make yourselves enemies of the Avatar." Kyoshi glared. As she spoke, her voice was strong.

"Chin The Great was the leader we needed to rise up and confront the Earth King!" He replied passionately, but still held a non-threatening pose. Behind the man speaking, Dahst could see more of the soldiers hurrying out to the scene from their camp. From how they carried themselves, he felt like they wanted to speak rather than fight.

"And," one of the men spoke up as he reached the other soldiers, "the Avatar seems intent on letting the Earth King neglect and abuse us all!"

Kyoshi's eyes flashed cold and stern. "Chin was nothing but a tyrant, seizing power for himself."

Another soldier spoke up. "Without Chin, we have nowhere to go. He was our hope of strength and stability coming to the Earth Kingdom. Until you showed up and killed him!"

And still another voice came. "You're no better than the Earth King. You have let him oppress everyone in the entire kingdom! It's all he has done for years, and where have you been?"

Dahst blinked as he saw Kyoshi recoil at these words. She really did feel guilty, and these men were treading dangerous ground jabbing at that fact. _Fact_. Yes, it was a fact. He and Kyoshi had been tucked away from the world for a long time, secluded in their little village in the corner of the Earth Kingdom.

Before either of them could respond, more angry voices came from the soldiers. They began talking among each other as the man in front was still suspended in his earthy stocks, craning his neck every which way to see who was speaking.

Only one way out of this mess came to Dahst. He grabbed Kyoshi's arm and made a motion to Li-Sang, urging her to grab her things and head the other direction. Dahst made sure Kyoshi got the idea before grabbing their packs.

"Just run," he gasped. "Into the woods." With his staff, he pointed to the nearest trees to the east.

The three ran as the men of Chin's army shouted their goodbyes and good riddances. _Good riddance to you, too_ , Dahst thought as he ran behind Kyoshi and Li-Sang.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

They were getting fairly deep into the woods by now, and Li-Sang's mind was reeling at the action of the day. Kyoshi had used waterbending to sail their small boat from Kyoshi Island to the mainland, and then used earthbending to ride up the cliffside. Li-Sang recalled Kyoshi's strong and precise movements as she had bent a rocky platform out of the cliff and up the entire face of it. Then there was the fight with the men of Chin's army. Kyoshi made beating them seem as easy as flicking a wrist. She was truly a powerful Avatar.

But they had been driven away by those soldiers. Li-Sang was thankful that Dahst had decided they should simply run away. But she was ready for those men to leave her mind. They had run from Chin's soldiers' settlement until they reached the edge of the forest. Li-Sang had been looking for a good spot to rest ever since. They would need to make camp for the night before too long.

"There's a good spot," Li-Sang pointed to a small clearing up ahead. Fading sunlight covered a small area nearby as the trees thinned out. She hopped across the clearing to a small, flat tree stump and sat down, letting fresh air refill her lungs before looking up.

As Dahst and Kyoshi entered the clearing, Kyoshi's expression was unreadable. She whispered something to Dahst, and he nodded in return with a soft look on his face. Li-Sang noticed the way he looked at Kyoshi. His expression was understanding and gentle, but underlined by his strength. It may have been hard to trust men, but Dahst was different. He was like a father to her. After getting to know Kyoshi and then seeing her and Dahst together, it made sense to trust him.

Kyoshi gave Li-Sang a quick glance before setting her pack down and turning to walk deeper into the woods. Li-Sang felt her forehead wrinkle in confusion as Dahst set his packs down and walked over to take a seat next to her. He set his staff across his crossed legs as he sat on the ground.

"Kyoshi needs some time to meditate," he said before looking at Li-Sang. "She won't be far away," he added.

Li-Sang didn't know what to think about next. When she didn't reply, Dahst kept talking.

"It's been a while since she has really acted on being the Avatar. Though it's hard for her, it is good for us to be here." He was looking off into the distance again, speaking to her without making eye contact. "We have been living in our village ever since we were married. Kyoshi has always loved our village. Home. And family." Li-Sang felt herself growing calm at Dahst's voice. So she just waited for him to continue.

"The Avatar has a hard life to live. She is bound to her duty to guide the entire world. But it's more than that." Dahst not only turned to face Li-Sang now, he also rose to his feet and stood tall. Both of his hands firmly held his staff in front of him. "It's destiny. Whether Kyoshi willingly acts on it and journeys across the world, or lives a simple village life, I believe her destiny will lead her to the same path. Destiny is a funny thing."

"So, what would happen if we hadn't come here?" Li-Sang asked. Dahst sighed and took a moment before responding.

"Chin and his army began expanding their territory when Kyoshi and I settled down into the village. In that time, we started a family. And Kyoshi could not leave that. Rightly so, she was attached to me and to Suhnd. Later, she created a safe house for girls and began training them. Of course, they became the Kyoshi Warriors when you came to us. And Kyoshi could not leave them. She cares deeply for you girls. It is in her heart to protect you and those like you. And she couldn't leave you to face Chin then."

"But I am so thankful that Kyoshi stayed in the village as long as she has," Li-Sang pointed out. "I had nowhere to go when I came across the girls of the Kyoshi Warriors. I'm safe because of Kyoshi. And because of you and everyone else in the village."

"Exactly." With just a slight nod, Li-Sang could tell that Dahst understood. He paused and let his shoulders fall from their strong height before continuing.

"There were always reasons to stay. And there still would be. But guilt for letting the situation in the Earth Kingdom go as it had for so long built up over the years. Imagine being torn between the things around you that you so dearly long to protect, and leaving those very things to face what threatens them. Leaving was a scary thought for Kyoshi. For both of us. Only when the threat came to our home was she ready for something like this. It would happen eventually whether Kyoshi and I liked it or not. The question is, would we cooperate when the time came and go willingly, or fight against what can't be changed? I believe that for Kyoshi, it will be a struggle to face this piece of destiny we find ourselves in without perfect balance within herself."

"I think I understand," Li-Sang began. "It's hard for me to leave the village, too. I guess you could say I am torn between the safety I've found there and the danger of wandering the Earth Kingdom again."

"It is my hope that Kyoshi will be as open with you as she is with me. It will help both of you to face this journey together." Dahst smiled at Li-Sang and held out his staff as opposed to leaning on it. "But in any case, I can't help but notice you seem interested in this staff of mine. Have you ever asked the Kyoshi Warriors about training with a combat staff?"

"Well," Li-Sang was surprised at the change of subject. But she she found herself smiling at the idea. The staff seemed so practical and she definitely wanted to know more about the weapon. "A few of the girls have tried practicing with Kyoshi's war fans. But no, nothing else."

"This is a perfect spot for training. Let's start."

Li-Sang hopped to her feet, excited to try something new.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

The dark veil of closed eyelids. The cool flow of the gentle breeze. Leaves rustling. Inhale. Exhale.

Kyoshi opened her eyes and let her gaze fall on the small stone between her fingers. She had picked it up without thinking while walking deep into the woods. Something about it. It fit perfectly in her fist. She slowly rubbed her thumb over the stone, smoothing the edges. A fine and precise exhibition of earthbending that made her feel delicate.

As Kyoshi's mind wandered across the events of the past few days, she found relief in the feeling of her thumbs gliding across the stone. Soon, one side of the stone became flat and circular. Then the other side. Mindlessly thumbing the stone. Endlessly allowing her mind to flow. Until the coin shaped stone snapped her out of her thoughts for just a moment.

Birds sounded above her in the light of the setting sun. So light, free, and untethered. Honeyflies buzzed upon nearby flowers that had recently bloomed between the trunks of the trees. Buzzing their beautiful wings with no real cares. No real problems. Not like her. Kyoshi closed her eyes again as her heart beat at the thought, catching her breathing to calm herself and letting her mind flow once more.

Her fingernails traced upon the stone as her other hand twisted it slowly. She let each hand take the stone while the other scratched at it ever so slightly. Mindlessly.

What wisdom could come to her? What wisdom would guide her? So much lay broken. Because of her? _I could have stopped this. All of this_.

She let a sigh drift through her lips before opening moist eyes. Her neck tilted as she saw. The stone. Small, flat, thin, round. A simple outline of a beautiful flower was lightly traced into the rock. Wisdom. Wisdom would come.

Wouldn't it have to?

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Li-Sang stood in a wide stance with Dahst's staff at arm's length. The staff, which Kyoshi normally saw as shorter than Dahst, was nearly a head taller than the girl. Dahst stood just a few paces away, preparing for action. Li-Sang sprang to strike first. She stepped sideways, stabbed with the end of the staff, and quickly spun, sending the other end of the staff rushing towards Dahst. He blocked. She repeated the attack but struck low this time, then sent another strike high. Dahst blocked the attack but was knocked down. Li-Sang spun the staff into her other hand and planted one end in the dirt.

Kyoshi couldn't help but smile at the scene from her nearby hiding spot she found as she returned to their camp.

"Well done, Li-Sang," Kyoshi said, startling the others as she entered the clearing.

Dahst was rising to his feet and turned in surprise at her arrival. As he did, he tripped on the staff that Li-Sang held and fell to the ground again.

Li-Sang chuckled and brought the staff close to her body as she looked down at Dahst. "Does that one count, too?"

Dahst rose to his feet again and brushed dirt off of his sleeves. With a playful look, he invited Kyoshi to answer the question.

Kyoshi looked from Dahst to Li-Sang and gave a light smile. "Definitely."

Li-Sang rocked from her heels to her toes and gave a proud look of accomplishment. Dahst rolled his eyes and walked toward Kyoshi, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"We need to discuss our plans." His voice was soft.

Kyoshi's bottom lip instinctively curled into her mouth as she looked over Dahst's shoulder at Li-Sang. She was spinning the staff from hand to hand, striking the air on either side of her.

"She's with us. Part of our team. Let her in." Dahst paused before adding, "And she adores you."

It was like he could read her mind. Kyoshi let out a sigh and allowed her shoulders to fall. She gave a nod.

"Let's start a fire before it gets dark," Dahst said in his usual voice as he turned to include Li-Sang in the conversation.

Kyoshi smiled and closed her eyes tightly. Her boots seemed to sink lower into the earth as she concentrated. Roots of trees, fallen leaves, and nearby rocks, all felt through the earth and connected to her.

"Kyoshi, are you…" Dahst started, but stopped as a breeze began rustling through the trees with swift movements of Kyoshi's arms. Concentrating, it was a welcome exercise and rush to airbend like this again. Lifting her arms into a sweeping motion, a number of gusts of wind blew up from the ground, sending small sticks leaping through the air into Dahst's chest and side.

"Hey!" He gasped in the realization of what Kyoshi was doing and tried to block the barrage of sticks and twigs.

Kyoshi let the air return to its gentle rest and let out a little chuckle as Li-Sang laughed.

"Let me know when you're ready for the fire," Kyoshi calmly offered through a loving smile. These opportunities to show affection couldn't be passed up.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Holding the staff close to her body, she leaned into it and stared at the flames of their fire. Camp had been set up and they'd found something to eat. The first day Li-Sang had been away from her new home since meeting Kyoshi had finally come and gone.

Wielding the combat staff felt more natural than Li-Sang imagined, even though she had only just started training with it that day. It was like a part of her she didn't know she needed. It made her feel strong, as if Dahst or Kyoshi herself was right there with her to protect her.

And protect her they did. When they ran into Chin's army, Dahst did not hesitate to anchor himself right in front of her to defend her against the soldiers if the need came. And Kyoshi defeated their little attack with ease. But they hadn't expected that encounter. What were their plans now?

"North would take us through Omashu, and we could get an escort from there," a voice said.

Li-Sang shook her head as Dahst and Kyoshi's conversation caught her attention.

"Omashu will still be controlled by Chin's army, no doubt," Kyoshi said. "Now I think it may be better to avoid them."

"How are we going to do that? We'd have to go straight to the king!" Dahst's mouth was left half open and he held his arms out on either side with his palms up. Everybody sighed before anyone spoke again.

"That's exactly what we'll do," Kyoshi finally said. "We'll go east. Straight to the king."

Dahst raised an eyebrow. "Not through the desert?"

Kyoshi's expression turned solid as rock. "The sea."

Nobody spoke.

"Gaoling can supply us with a ship that can sail around the Earth Kingdom and into Chameleon Bay," Kyoshi explained. Her eyes didn't move as she spoke. "We'll go right to the Earth King and face him directly."

As Li-Sang watched the conversation from her seat near the fire, Dahst seemed to be considering his words before replying.

"Will that work?" Dahst finally asked. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"There's nothing else we can do!" The words seemed to explode out of Kyoshi. "It is obvious that we should end up in Ba Sing Se. It's been long enough. Chin's men were right, you know. There is no other way. The Earth King is responsible for everything wrong in the entire Kingdom. And I'm responsible for letting him fail his people. Every day of my life, people across the lands have ridiculed the king. And I've done nothing to right his wrongs."

Li-Sang flinched as the fire spit flames high into the air at Kyoshi's words. Breath seemed to have left her chest at Kyoshi's outburst. This display of emotion was not who Li-Sang knew as Avatar Kyoshi. As she gasped for breath, Dahst hesitated to speak. But Kyoshi continued.

"We need to get this over with and return home," she said. Kyoshi seemed to hesitate now as well. "What a mistake it was to leave Koko and Suhnd. The entire village. Everything I have."

Li-Sang thought she must have imagined Kyoshi's voice cracking through those last words. As Kyoshi turned her head away from Dahst, Li-Sang shivered at a chill in her spine. The fire grew low and flickered in the evening breeze that took the place of Kyoshi's words.

"How could you have let me leave them?" Though Kyoshi faced away from them, Li-Sang felt tears in the words Kyoshi softly offered to Dahst. "Why didn't I have you stay and protect them? The world felt so safe from within the village." Kyoshi exhaled audibly into the breeze. "But I'm scared."

Li-Sang felt her eyes widen at Kyoshi's delicate words. Dahst glanced at Li-Sang silently and nodded slightly, as if to confirm Kyoshi's words. All of them. Her heart beat within her as they sank in.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sir, there's someone here to see you," the guard explained. Before waiting for a reply, he added, "News from Chin The Great."

Raivun didn't break eye contact or lift his elbows from the table as he peered over the tips of his fingers. He nodded once and returned to resting his chin on his thumbs. The guard acknowledged the reply and turned to leave.

"Send him in," Raivun heard the guard's voice echo through the hallway outside his chambers. Footsteps and shadows cast from the flickering torches were followed by doors opening and closing. The two guards led a younger man dressed in ragged clothes into Raivun's study.

"News from the army of Chin The Great," the boy stammered. "A messenger made contact with the Sympathizers in the Lower Ring just this evening, sir." Raivun could tell the messenger was trying to speak with a strong voice though he seemed to hesitate as he delivered the words.

"Well, what's the news, boy?" Raivun asked in a low voice as he tightened his gaze.

The boy gasped and tried to compose himself. "Chin The Great," he started. His eyes darted towards the corner of the room and back to Raivun. "Chin The Great has fallen. At the hands of the Avatar."

Raivun's eyes widened and he stood quickly, not caring as he knocked the small table over. At this, the messenger boy visibly flinched.

"Calm yourself, boy," Raivun said, realizing he was intimidating the messenger. "Have a seat," he added, moving another chair around the fallen table and offering it. The boy accepted it, though he still flinched occasionally as Raivun turned to pace the room.

"Chin The Great," Raivun thought out loud as he held his hands together behind him and walked back and forth between the walls of the secret underground study. "The Avatar."

A pounding sound rang through the walls of the stairway outside the room and broke Raivun's thoughts. He turned to face the guards whose footsteps grew louder as they hurried back down the stairs.

"City Patrol is outside, sir," one of the two guards announced.

"Shan, come with me," Raivun said quickly to one of the guards. "Everyone else, stay here. And stay quiet."

The other guard and the messenger boy exchanged glances as Raivun and Shan headed out of the room. Stopping at the door atop the steps, Raivun placed his palm against the dirt wall, focused his energy, and clenched his hand into a fist. The earth of the walls reached out to encase the torches along the steps and in his study, letting darkness fill the air. He closed his eyes, pressed against the door, and headed into the main level of the building with Shan behind him.

Raivun's shop in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se was nearly as dark as the stairway had been. He quietly used his earthbending to seal the secret doorway shut, then ushered Shan to stay close behind him as he made his way to the shop's office, his movement invisible to any potential prying eyes.

Raivun nodded to Shan as he opened the office door, and light from a small lantern poured out into the main room of the small shop. As he walked to the front entrance, his eyes adjusted to the new light as he passed the rare artifacts from around the world that were on display.

The patrol men would be earthbenders, no doubt. Raivun calmed himself as he reached for the door, so that nothing he wished to remain hidden to these men would be revealed.

Fortunately there was only one officer outside the door. He was a shorter man, and wasn't exactly threatening. "Good evening to you, sir," Raivun smiled through his greeting. "Are you in need of assistance?"

"It's hardly evening anymore at this hour of the night," the officer commented directly. Apparently he was not flattered by Raivun's friendly tone. "I'm searching for a wanderer from the Lower Ring. It was reported that a wanderer was possibly spotted and could have been heading this way."

 _Possibly? They are so desperate to control these people._ Raivun tried to keep himself composed and friendly.

"I am sorry, sir, but I haven't seen anyone come by this way," Raivun offered in a surprised voice. "I can't say I've ever seen a wanderer around here."

The officer huffed and looked past Raivun into the shop. "What are you doing in here at this hour, then?"

Deciding it best to simply be friendly to the man, Raivun stepped to the side and held a hand out towards the room. "Please, come in if you'd like. We must have let the time get away from us yet again in our work."

The officer was either intrigued by the shop or still suspected Raivun of harboring wanderers. Either way, it wouldn't be hard to convince anyone that he was indeed lost in his work.

"Shan, come meet a man of the City Patrol," Raivun shouted towards the back of the shop. Turning back to the officer, he said, "Welcome to The Shop of Four Nations, sir. Relics and artifacts from around the globe displayed and sold. True curios from every nation."

"Is everything alright, sir?" Shan asked as he approached them. He played the part of the ignorant shop keeper as well as anyone.

"Of course, Shan," Raivun smiled. "Unless you're a wanderer from the Lower Ring!" It was hard to force a laugh at his own remark, but Raivun managed. Turning to address the officer once more and leading the way towards the shop's office, he explained, "This is my assistant, Shan. You could say it is not rare for us to stay late into the night working hard to run this modest shop of ours. Time simply ticks by unaware while working with our precious goods."

The officer huffed and looked around. Something seemed to catch his eye as they walked. "What's this here? What sorts of items are you selling?"

"Anything I believe the fine people of our city will find value in, to be sure," Raivun replied as he looked for the item that had caught his uninvited guest's eye. A true smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he found it. A shelf not far from them held a small assortment of handcrafted clubs, boomerangs, and knives. All laced with a blue fabric around the handles, but the color didn't quite show in the low light. "That is a fine collection indeed, officer. Authentic weapons of the Southern Water Tribe."

Raivun led the officer past the display and they reached the entrance to the office. "Indeed. We have everything from weapons of the Water Tribe to-" Raivun grabbed a fragile looking scroll from his desk as they entered the office. He held it out and unrolled it in front of the officer. "-rarities such as these."

A light, masterful script flowed across the scroll in ink. Not in straight lines, but a true flowing pattern, unpredictable as air. Yes, the officer seemed genuinely interested, waiting for an explanation.

"Handwritten by the monks of the Northern Air Temple. Legends and stories passed down through the generations of airbenders. We have only recently received these and have been sorting them all night." The thought of doing just that thrilled Raivun. This lie would never be recognized as such.

"These scrolls really ancient, are they?" The officer asked, probably judging their appearance. "What sorts of stories?"

Raivun sighed. Truly. No more lies in this conversation. "They certainly appear to be ancient. The task of dating their origin is not so easy, however." Raivun gently rolled up the scroll as he answered the second question. "Seems to be philosophical musings and legends of their people. Writings about hope, instinct, flight-" A flash of surprise fluttered across the officer's face at that word, but Raivun continued. "Indeed. All sorts of things. Often it is rather hard to decipher."

Raivun returned the scroll to its place on his desk and smiled at the officer. "There you have it, sir. Thank you for your visit. I don't mean to take up your time." He gestured to the front of the store again, hoping the visitor would leave without any further questions.

The officer seemed to agree. "Of course. Interesting shop you have here. I recommend that you gentlemen turn in for the night. But I'll be on my way."

Raivun nodded and escorted the man out the door. A short-lived sigh of relief escaped him once the officer was out of sight. But the weight of his purposes returned. _Chin The Great has fallen at the hands of the Avatar_. The news hit him once again and he nearly stumbled as he moved through his shop. City Patrol was part of the enemy. That one man a pawn among many, the Earth King's overbearing fingers selfishly squandering his power to oppress those lower than him–everybody. Raivun had better return to the Lower Ring wanderer he harbored in the secret chambers below his shop against the will of _His Majesty_.

A display near the secret doorway caught Raivun's eye. The little light there was in the room seemed to gather in one spot on a shelf. As he approached, Raivun admired the lighthearted trinkets from around the globe. Small toys sat on the lower shelf, but the shelf above them collected the light.

The light had good taste. An intricately crafted Pai Sho board sat illuminated behind several small stacks of the game's tiles. In the front, set out on display, was a White Lotus tile. To him and others who studied the game, a symbol of the complete harmony that was so rarely found in the world today. And the wisdom of those who sought after it. Before reopening the hidden door, a low voice echoed in his head. _Few still cling to the ancient ways_.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Through the corners of her tent, Kyoshi could tell that clouds were beginning to fill the night sky, slowly taking away the light of the moon and stars. She turned again in her sleeping blanket, eyes wide and weary. Guilt clawed at her. She had torn herself from things she never meant to tear away from, and the wound stung. Home. Suhnd and Koko. Gran. The Warriors. And Kyoshi left them. Nothing could feel right if these ties were severed. She should have known.

Kyoshi clenched her jaw, resolved to keep tears from slipping away from her eyes. Dahst's shoulder had collected enough of them tonight. Once she had admitted she was scared, there was no stopping it. Now, the feel of his reassuring touch lingered around Kyoshi's shoulders. His words still repeated themselves over in her head. Telling her that the kids were safe on the island. Safe with Gran. And everyone on the island. So confident that they were all safe. But they were so far away.

She sat upright and held her face in her hands. The thoughts went on and on. What did Li-Sang think of Kyoshi now? The girl's face seemed disappointed, almost scared, as she saw Kyoshi break in front of Dahst. Would she still be strong in Li-Sang's eyes? Strong enough to face the Earth King? To mend a world she had allowed to crumble? _Li-Sang adores you_. Dahst's words felt fragile now.

Next to Kyoshi, her headpiece glistened in the waning moonlight. She swept hair away from her face. Next to her headpiece sat the stone she had found and whittled in the woods. She took it into her hand, eyes tracing the lines of the flower that had been carved into the face of it so mindlessly. Something was coming. Destiny, perhaps. But Kyoshi only wanted to feel her roots again.

Dahst said those roots were safe on Kyoshi Island. Kyoshi tried to hear his words over and over as she lay down and hoped for sleep.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

 _Gasp. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe._

 _Eyes. Open. Look._

 _Camp. Woods. Right._

 _Okay._

 _Thunder. Real? Dream? Real. Distant. Okay. Safe._

 _No. The dreams. So real. Dahst. Suhnd. Koko._

 _Breathe. Breathe. Not real. Not real. Not real._

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Again, the lightning signaled the charge. Thunder and rain raced toward her, the winds howling shrieks of alarm. Through the torrent stood a small mountain, a lone low peak daring to stand in front of its stronger kin as they looked down on it from behind. At the base of the mountain, a glowing mouth. A cave. Shelter from the storm.

Voices called. Their words, wet with rain, surrounded her. Family. All she loved. Begging her to face the storm.

Strong winds grabbed at Kyoshi's arms. But she stood firm. This time she would face it. Brave the storm and reach the solace.

Kyoshi lifted her legs to step into the downpour, but the earth held her firmly and her feet seemed to grow heavier as she pulled. As she struggled once more to step forward, it wasn't her legs that lifted. Trees along the path toward the mountains were thrown into the air. Kyoshi reached out as if to grab them, but they were thrown deeper into the storm, cracking apart in the fierce, blowing winds. And she was next. As if grabbed by hands belonging to the earth itself, she was thrown into the sky and pulled under igniting clouds. Sparks lit the air beyond the rain and–

 _Gasp. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe._

 _Eyes. Open. Look._

 _Camp. Woods. Right. Safe._

Breath filled Kyoshi's lungs. Her head darted back and forth. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of night, she felt herself return. She was in her tent. Safe. Still, a shiver rattled through her spine.

She let herself rest on her arms as the vivid dream faded into the back of her mind yet again. She reached for her small whittled stone and let the delicate carving comfort her until she had the strength to lie down and face the storm once more.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Filthy stinking bandits after filthy stinking bandits. That's all these woods were. Krit lifted her ear from the side of the tree, shook a loose strand of hair from her eyes, and spat into the branches below. Only a small group this time. Not too far away from here. With the element of surprise, taking them down would be easy. _Best get to it before the sun rises_. There wasn't much time, from the looks of the dawn creeping in. The stars in the clear sky above would be fading from view soon. A welcome change from the thundering clouds that had come and gone throughout the night.

Krit looked through the trees in the direction of the bandits. Even high in the tree, she couldn't see much. Because of the trees and the dark. She tugged on the handle of the rope that held itself around the trunk of the tree. A rock-rope. With earthbending, she tightened the fist-sized rocks on either end of the rope closer together to tighten the grip around the tree. She craned her neck higher, still not seeing anything promising in the distance. She could find the bandits later. Time to get the others and surprise some bad guys.

The rock-rope's grip around the tree loosened at Krit's command. As she slid down the tree, Krit freed the rock-rope and launched herself downwards. The stones on the ends of the rock-rope wrapped a sturdy tree branch and melded together as she bent them, catching herself from the fall. A quick laugh escape her as she jerked to a stop, hanging high above the ground beneath the branch. _Ha, almost missed that one_. Krit grabbed the handle of her second rock-rope, freed it from her waist, and hoisted herself up and planted her feet on the branch. A quick glance later, she jumped up and bent her rock-ropes from branch to branch, swinging back towards her base.

It didn't take long for Krit to reach her most recent hideout. She didn't count as she swung through the branches, of course, but she imagined she could count the number of trees she passed on one hand. As long as she could reuse all of her fingers a few times. She landed with a thud on the single long plank that was their camp. Wedged nicely between branches of sturdy trees, it was all they ever needed.

"Guoyo!" She shouted.

He was already looking at her. His eyebrows raised, questioning her.

"Tell Skud to put that game away!" Krit shouted again.

Guoyo looked behind him at Skud, who sat with his back rested against a tree and his ever-present Pai Sho set sat on his lap in front of him, small round tiles scattered over the board. With Skud seemingly oblivious to Krit's shouting, Guoyo simply looked back to Krit and shrugged.

Krit let out a sigh. It sounded like a growl. That's how you shout when you sigh. She looked over her shoulder in the direction she came from so as not to forget about the bandits. And to be sure that her shouting was fairly safe. When she looked back, Skud was standing with no Pai Sho board in sight.

"Work to do this morning, Krit?" he asked. Dang it. Every time. _Where does he keep that thing?_

"Where on earth is that Pai Sho game!?" Her hands flailed into the air and her rock-ropes shifted around her thin waist.

Skud's witless face began to speak. "I put it–" but Krit could finish that sentence. He put it _away_. How specific. Time to interrupt.

"Bandits! Just a few trips west and one trip south," she said, looking away from the boys with her outstretched hand covering Skud's face if she were to dare look. "We go now."

When Krit lowered her hand, Skud was sitting with Pai Sho on his lap again.

"Guoyo!" Krit bellowed. She glared at Guoyo but pointed at Skud.

"He's your brother, not mine," Guoyo shrugged.

Krit slapped her own face. "Skud, you–" but Skud's Pai Sho set was gone again. "Whatever! Let's go!"

Krit whipped her rock-ropes from her waist and leapt into the trees.


	4. Chapter 4

Rising sun permeated the crisp, clean air of Spring morning. Indeed, this was Ba Sing Se at its finest. As every other day, Raivun rose from bed against the will of his tired body. This was more necessary today than any other. The dire situation in the Earth Kingdom did not allow for luxury of adequate sleep. And neither did living two lives in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se, secretly leading the Sympathizers of Chin The Great while running the Shop Of Four Nations. Work had to be done to keep up appearances.

But now there was the heaviest of boulders weighing on his shoulders. _Chin The Great has fallen at the hands of the Avatar_. He buried the weight inside his chest. Work first. Plot later. _Indeed_.

Raivun's feet crossed the wooden floor and his hands unfolded his customary dress robes as an owner of a prestigious shop in the Middle Ring. The face in the mirror returned his gaze as he fastened his outer garments. His fierce brown eyes shone tired but strong, and his pointed chin masked itself behind a small goatee. He would leave his hair down and able to fall in front of his face, as he preferred, until the time came to go outside. Only then would Raivun oblige and wear it respectably, in a short, single braided length behind him.

As Raivun sat at his desk, his thoughts fell upon the Air Nomad scroll in front of him. The most common scrolls he acquired were nothing like this. Citizens of all nations were happy to write children's stories from their own culture on simple scrolls and sell them cheaply in order to share their customs with others. Raivun then sold the scrolls to the willing citizens of Ba Sing Se. There were many from the university in the Middle Ring who were eager to learn about other cultures and ways of life.

A normal scroll could be held to the desk in place by small weighted stones, but this one was not normal. Touching the parchment only near the edges with the tips of his long fingers, he rotated it right, then left, then right in attempt to follow the flowing script. Testing the paper's edges with his fingernails, taking in all the fine details, Raivun assessed the quality and the age of it. _Ancient_.

This scroll could be the most valuable artifact of its kind that Raivun had ever studied. His heart glowed as he thought of his years of work. Through those years, he had made contact with traders, craftsmen, and artists from all nations. Hunting down valuable items and meeting fascinating strangers from across the world–he absolutely loved the work.

Of course, Raivun traded for older and more valuable artifacts when he could, such as hand-sewn gowns from the Northern Water Tribe or the authentic musical instruments from throughout the Earth Kingdom that were featured prominently in his shop. Citizens of the Middle and Upper Rings of Ba Sing Se came and went, day by day, to the Shop Of Four Nations. There was always something of interest in Raivun's shop, no matter who or how knowledgeable the customer may be. That was the goal, at least. Keeping it that way was an adventure. And the thrill of the adventure beat in Raivun's chest as his thoughts returned to the work in front of him.

Staring at the parchment beneath the rotating text allowed the ink to come into focus. Slowly, the words of the page came alive in Raivun's eyes. The light script weaved around airy drawings familiar to the life of the Air Nomads. Mountain peaks, clouds, and flying bison rested between the words of the page. Once the words and images became clear, a proud smile parted Raivun's lips. This particular scroll seemed to contain works of poetry among the art.

 _Hope is a distraction_  
 _False courage rises_  
 _Always without promise_

The words rested between a simple drawing of two mountain peaks. Who was the man to have written these things? An artist, indeed. Other small poetic phrases decorated the page as Raivun scanned it.

In one area of the scroll there seemed to be not a drawing, but a diagram of an ancient Air Nomad's glider staff. Lines around the glider's spread wings seemed to indicate precise measurements. An awesome feeling weighted in Raivun's chest as he gasped at the details. _Ancient, indeed_.

Raivun breathed in the scent of the ancient parchment, more amazed at the artistry of it at every detail. After turning the scroll in circles, following the flowing script, another section caught his eye. The faint ink outlined an image of a man among clouds, without a glider, floating in the air. Words, like wind, flowed around the meditative man.

 _The earth had choked me_  
 _Tight against the rocky ground_  
 _Forcing me to stand_

 _The earth had choked me_  
 _Wind_  
 _A void to be opened_  
 _And entered_  
 _Unbound_

Could an airbender float? Fly, and not have to stand? Were the musings of flight Raivun had seen in other scrolls true stories? The words twisted in Raivun's head as they flowed around the man on the page. The simple, meditative expression on the man's face made floating among the clouds look as easy as lying down in bed.

This scroll was an important historical document, perhaps with nothing else like it in existence, and its meaning was only beginning to sink in. He knew the Air Nomads lived simply, but he couldn't imagine parting with something like this as they had done. The monks Raivun had traded with seemed excited to share their recent lot of scrolls with him. Surely they knew what they had given him.

This scroll would not be selling any time soon. The price would be much too high. Had any other artifact to have come across this desk even compared to this single scroll? Holding his breath, Raivun reverently let the parchment curl into itself and returned the scroll to its resting place in a nook on the shelves of his desk. On either side of the scroll, precious stones oozed deep red light as the breath of the rising sun touched them. Even rare stones from the Fire nation could not compare to the ancient scroll of the Air Nomads.

As his shadow on the wall was overtaken by sunlight, Raivun was overtaken with awe at the image that was forming in his mind. The stories of the Air Nomads that he had read time and time again, the ones that seemed to use flight as a metaphor of freeing one's self from worldly cares, were suddenly so much more. _Wind. A void to be opened and entered unbound_. Each of his long fingers pressed against the surface of the desk, as if to keep Raivun from floating away himself. Could an airbender truly achieve this by cutting himself away from worldly cares? What would it be like to fully detach from the earth? Raivun exhaled and closed his eyes. He imagined what it would feel like to be let go by the earth. To be released from the tether of gravity.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"Tell me what you know, Guoyo," Krit said in a low voice. Guoyo and Skud were at her side, their rock-ropes holding them to the tree.

Guoyo's eyes narrowed and he exhaled. "At least two of them benders, I'd say. Maybe all of them."

"How many?" Skud asked from behind Guoyo. He was craning his neck in attempt to see past Guoyo's shoulders.

"A group of three," Guoyo replied in a smooth voice. "No more than that. Can nearly see where their camp is up ahead."

"Too easy," Krit felt half of her mouth give in to a smirk. Guoyo probably thought she was cute. Good. She was.

Krit stretched her legs and stood, one foot on their branch high above the ground and another against the trunk of the tree. Hair fell across her face, hanging past her nose. She shook it away, grabbed a fistful of hair in each hand, and tied it in a knot behind her head. Time to move.

"We'll have them out before the sun jumps those trees," she pointed East, then West, "and before those clouds roll in."

Guoyo and Skud both nodded and tugged at their rock-ropes. A low rumble of thunder boomed in the distance behind the three young renegades as they charged to the attack in their usual formation.

Energy flowed through Krit as she gained speed. Weaving, ducking, and swinging through the trees, earthbending the rock-ropes at precise moments. Feeling the pull of the earth and feeding off it. Sensing the gravity that gripped not only her, but also the trees around her and her target up ahead.

Nearing the bandits, it was clear that Krit's surprise attack would work. She had two seconds to survey the site. A sign of a late night fire and no early risers. The tents, still dormant, and one bandit asleep under the dawn sky. Krit swung from one last branch and flung herself into the camp, restraining a battle cry to preserve the element of surprise.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Movement. Slight disturbances jolted Li-Sang's eyes wide. She sprang from her tent and looked into the surrounding trees. Dim silhouettes were falling from the trees on the far side of their camp. An ambush. Beside the remnants of their fire, Dahst began to stir, but Li-Sang resolved to be ready for this. She tore towards the attackers and leapt, her hands hitting the dirt, propelling her forward and grabbing Dahst's combat staff from the ground in one motion.

Li-Sang flipped to her feet just in time to defend against a small stone barrage. Earthbenders. The realization stunned her for a moment as the lead assailant, a thin, ragged girl, yelled and kicked toward Li-Sang. She blocked the attack with the strong staff but was knocked backward.

Two more attackers came from behind the first, one tall and one short, and slid into stances made for earthbending. Li-Sang rolled to her feet as a bricks of earth exploded from the ground around her. Sweeping the staff low, Li-Sang was able to trip up the thin girl. Li-Sang ducked to the side and blocked a rocky-footed kick from the small boy. With a jab of the staff, Li-Sang knocked the boy back and turned towards the others to block another blow from the thin girl.

"Stop!" It sounded like Dahst's voice. "We're with the Avatar!"

Behind the girl, Li-Sang saw that Dahst had risen to join the fight and had managed to tackle the taller boy, trying to restrain him. Li-Sang charged toward the girl, but was tripped as the girl foresaw the attack and pushed Li-Sang into Dahst. They collided and fell to the ground. As the taller attacker got up, Li-Sang felt ropes strangle her feet and pull her legs tight against the dirt.

Wind carried a boom of thunder through the air and rain began to threaten the campsite. The ground beneath Li-Sang rumbled, as if the coming storm spoke with the earth itself. Wind whipped her face as she struggled to break free, but it didn't help. She was trapped against the ground. Two gasps and a shriek drew Li-Sang away from her struggling. The attackers had also fallen to the ground, as if bound by ropes less visible than her own.

A foreign weight pressed in Li-Sang's gut, threatening to take away her breath and smother her in the dirt. The raindrops punched at her back and stung at the skin on her arms. Each pellet of falling water pecked at the ground beside her. The sound of cracking branches pierced her ears as the storm whipped at her hair. Li-Sang let her eyelids fall as the shrieks of the attackers were drowned into groans.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

Through rain and thunder, lightning lit the sky, drawing familiar silhouettes in the distance. Again, Kyoshi strained to reach her loved ones near the cave of the mountain's mouth. Only she could bring them to safety. Progress was attainable now. Every step took all her energy. Little by little, she braved the wind and rain, but one wrong step meant the earth would feed her to the storm.

Letting energy flow through her body and rooting her to the earth, Kyoshi yelled in exhaustion, lifted her right foot, and planted it in the muddy trail ahead of her. The rain seemed to pierce her robes at the thunder's command. And the winds, whipping through all the air, oversaw the earth's attack on the Avatar.

Shadows fell from the clouds and flew through the air towards her goal, mocking her slow advancement. The shadows surrounded the cave in the distance, drowning out the light of the safety inside. Kyoshi could not let the shadows threaten her family.

"Stop! We're with the Avatar!" Dahst. Kyoshi needed to save him. And the others. The shadows swept through the stormy air, restraining her loved ones from reaching safety themselves.

"Kyoshi!" she heard Dahst yell. The voice ran through her as if it were the source of her energy, and she took another step forward.

Kyoshi reached toward the attacking shadows. There had to be something she could do to stop them. But she felt herself grow lighter as she reached. The storm may take her if she wasn't careful.

"Kyoshi, stop!" But she had to try to save them. She put all her energy into stopping the shadows. Reaching as far as she could.

The earth along the mountain path cracked as mud and debris filled the air, mixing with the storm. Kyoshi was pelted with hard mud as it tugged at her legs. And once again, the earth took her in its own hands and gave her to the storm.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"Kyoshi!"

Kyoshi gasped and breathed deep and fast. The world was spinning around her, threatening to toss her any direction at any moment.

"Kyoshi." Dahst called again, his voice softer than before.

She was in his arms. Though the world still spun as fast as her heart thumped within her chest, she was safe. Kyoshi tried to gasp, but could only open her mouth and choke on the wet morning air. _Breathe. Breathe._ She closed her eyes and let the world around her slow before trying to move again. Wetness flicked her eyelids.

Between her deep breaths, Kyoshi noticed that the smells of storms and sounds of morning filled the air. The rustling sound of people stirring alarmed her. Kyoshi lifted her head up and saw Li-Sang rising to her feet, wide-eyed and filthy from dirt. Behind Li-Sang were others. Strangers. _What happened?_

As the strangers rose to their feet, Kyoshi looked up to face Dahst. He was okay. They were safe. Had she hurt them? She must have acted in her sleep if she woke up here, outside her tent in Dahst's arms. The dream flashed back through her mind. Dahst's voice, yelling for her attention, for her to stop. What had she done? As Kyoshi searched Dahst's face, she found concern for her most of all. Good. She could assume the others were safe. Even the strangers.

Kyoshi watched the strangers get up from the ground. The closest was a young girl, who didn't look much older than Li-Sang. Thin as could be, she had glaring green eyes and chaotic hair, much of it tied to itself behind her head. The girl didn't bother to dust herself off as Li-Sang had done, and stood tall with her hands on her hips. Strong character. But still, the thin girl looked hesitant as she met Kyoshi's eyes.

Behind the thin girl, a boy slightly younger than her propped himself up on his knees and hugged the girl's legs. He dared only a peek at Kyoshi. A taller boy was farther back, facing away from the campsite. With one arm bracing himself against a tree, his other clutched his stomach as if he was sick. Kyoshi felt her lips fall apart as she realized that leaves from the nearest trees had fallen to the ground unnaturally.

"Dahst," Kyoshi groaned. "What happened?"

Dahst's eyes widened slightly as he thought for words. He seemed at a loss. Unlike him. A hint of fear showed in the lines on his face.

"Are you alright?"

"Kyoshi." His tender voice answered her question. "We were attacked. An ambush." He glanced at the attackers and back again, hesitating, thinking. "But you stopped them. They didn't expect us to be with the Avatar."

"I-," Kyoshi started. _What happened?_ "Did I hurt them?"

"I thought you had gone into the Avatar state, being woken up by an attack. But that wasn't it."

Could he not explain it?

"You were in a sort of trance. And, well, everything became heavy. We could barely move. I was able to get your attention and snap you out of it."

"You bent gravity." The voice came from behind Li-Sang. Kyoshi and Dahst looked up together.

Awe dripped from the thin girl's face. She slowly stepped forward and held her head high. This girl had grit, and Kyoshi yearned to hear her explain what she claimed to know. As the girl approached, the short boy behind her rose to his feet with shaking legs. The thin girl's wide eyes locked with Kyoshi's, and her mouth stayed shut tight. Kyoshi felt the sound of leaves beneath the girl's steps as the air grew still and suspended the moment. A few paces away, she held her palms up and let her next step take her to one knee so her eyes were level with Kyoshi's. Intense morning light that slid through the clouds clashed with the girl's bright green eyes that bled courage through fear. She hesitated, but Kyoshi wanted her to speak.

"Avatar Kyoshi," she finally said, her voice like a smooth stone, "I am Krit. Please forgive my attack on your party. I thought you to be bandits, like every other group that roams through these woods."

"Gravity." Kyoshi fought to keep her head upright as the word escaped her.


	5. Chapter 5

Fresh air filled his lungs. _Ahh_. It was turning into a warm day. Sunlight danced at his feet. House-shaped shadows lined the village street. A perfect morning. If only Li-Sang was there to go with him, it could be a perfect day.

"Well, go on, now, Mister," Gran said from behind him. "There's no more breakfast for you to eat in here!"

Suhnd turned around in the doorway to his house and looked up at his giggling Gran. He felt his eyes dance into a smile of his own. But he was strong, and didn't let his mouth get too wide with excitement.

"Suhnd, I think you will do a swell job today," she said. "So long as you go right now."

"I can do it," Suhnd nodded as the door swung shut. Gran had her ways of persuasion. That door wouldn't open for him until sundown.

Suhnd stepped away from the house and into the street. Leaves waved at him in the warming breeze. Those were his trees now. The familiar dusty ground was his ground.

His feet kept pace as he walked across the village. Tarala would be waiting for him by now. Suhnd was going to help her work to lead the village today, and this was his chance to prove himself. He was smart. He would lead this village right.

It wasn't a long walk to the Warriors' hut. He walked past the center of the village and crossed a small grassy field. As he approached the training hut, Tarala stepped out to greet him. She was much taller than him and waved with a thin arm and long fingers.

"Good morning, Suhnd," she called. The smile on Tarala's face showed how nice she was. But Suhnd still wished Li-Sang was there.

He didn't have time to reply as he stopped and caught his breath.

"You ready to get to work?"

"Yes, Miss Tarala," Suhnd replied, trying to mimic the Warrior's positive attitude. "Good morning," He added with a smile.

"My father is waiting for us. It's not too far outside the village this way," she spoke with her hands, directing their route. And she smiled. A lot. "Let's go."

Suhnd followed Tarala on the path out of the village. The warming morning sun had put a skip in the happy girl's steps. Suhnd held his arms out wide and bounced as he walked to her rhythm. The new life of the blossoming trees reflected the new life of their home. An island.

"Do you work for your father every day?" Suhnd called ahead of him to Tarala, then turned to notice a funny shaped tree branch along the side of the path. The honeyflies were out.

"I sure do," Tarala chuckled slightly. "I always have, ever since I could walk. Or, maybe since I could lift a shovel. Something like that. Oh," Tarala pointed at a curve in the path up ahead, "It's just a bit farther, at the end of the path."

She didn't lie. After the path curved, the trees thinned out and gave way to large fields. A large house and a tall barn stood at the end of the path, and the sounds of chicken-pigs hit him right before the smells did. This was where he would lead the village?

Tarala ran towards the barn and waved at Suhnd to join her. His legs moved quickly, but Tarala's tall legs were no match for his short ones. He knew he would be taller someday. At least taller than Li-Sang.

At the barn, Tarala's dad stood with a smile that shone from under his wide hat. He had a strong face that seemed fitting for a hard working man. Tarala ran right into a hug with her father and stood with her shoes on his muddy boots. The top of her head rested against his cheek. They seemed to match, both of them being tall and slim. Her father laughed as he fought for his balance and patted Tarala's back. Then he smiled a greeting at Suhnd.

"Good morning, young man," he tapped the edge of his hat and dipped his head slightly. "Thanks for coming to help today."

"Yes sir," Suhnd tried to be as polite as Tarala's father had effortlessly been.

"Call me Fendin," He said as he stepped close and offered his hand to Suhnd.

"Yes sir. Fendin." Suhnd shook the man's hand. It hurt, so Suhnd squeezed hard, too. Though Suhnd only stood as tall as the man's elbows, he didn't kneel or speak down to Suhnd. Fendin shook his hand as he would have shaken any other man's. A smile lifted one side of Fendin's mouth more than the other as he let go of Suhnd's hand and gave a respectful nod.

"So, Suhnd, have you ever milked a moo-goat before?"

"No, sir. Fendin." Fendin smiled at Suhnd and tugged at the shoulders of the dirt-blue vest he wore. Then he motioned towards the side of the barn with his thumb.

"We'll go around the back of the barn and Tarala will walk you through it. She'll teach you all she knows and you can be one of the best moo-goat milkers there ever was. Just like her." Fendin smiled at his daughter at those words.

Tarala nodded with a smile and took Suhnd by the arm and yanked him from his confusion. Tarala was supposed to be a leader, not a farmer.

As they rounded the corner of the barn, Suhnd saw moo-goats of various sizes that filled several stalls separated by wooden walls. A few of the goats stood no taller than him, while a handful of them were nearly as tall as Tarala.

"Maahhh." One of the large moo-goats scraped a stall wall with one of its short, curved horns.

Suhnd's chest sank. This didn't even count as leading animals, let alone the citizens of the village.

But Tarala skipped over to the noisy moo-goat and reached to scratch it under the white tuft of hair on its chin. "Well, maahh to you, too," she said with a surprisingly impressive goat sound.

"Tarala," Suhnd started. This didn't make sense. For a couple reasons. "If they're called moo-goats, then why don't they say 'moo'?"

Tarala's eyes rolled a little as she laughed. "Everybody knows that moo-goats say 'mah.' Why wouldn't they?"

Suhnd huffed and groaned. "We're working on a farm! What does this have to do with leading the village?" He folded his arms and stomped a foot. Tarala didn't seem to mind. A slow kindness filled her face. Eventually, she nodded.

"Suhnd." He looked into her eyes at the sound of his name.

Tarala's voice tumbled out of her mouth and bounced in the breeze that swept hair across her eyes in slow motion. She gracefully ran a hand through her hair to secure the light brown strands behind her ear.

"Sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can do is to serve the people we care for. A leader who does not care for his people is a leader who uses his power in the wrong ways."

Tarala's eyes locked into his. Suhnd gulped. Something deep had etched itself into the girl's face. She wasn't the happy girl who had skipped here moments earlier.

"Was Chin The Conqueror a good leader? Is the Earth King a good leader?" One of her long fingers nearly jabbed Suhnd in the nose as she bent down towards him.

"No," Suhnd said as he nearly tripped backwards. "The Chin man was bad. He took over places with an army."

Tarala crossed her arms and turned away from Suhnd before speaking. Her long hair weaved around her shoulders in the wind. "And the Earth King is not so different."

But the Earth King was the king. He should be a good king. If he was a bad king, then Suhnd and everyone else would be in trouble. The Earth King could probably do whatever he wanted.

Tarala sighed. "Instead of taking over with an army, the Earth King just stood aside and didn't give armies to fight for what was good. He just let the cities fight for themselves so he could protect himself and no one else. He knew they would lose. So many people lost everything."

Tarala's voice trailed off. Suhnd thought about what she had said, even though it seemed like she wasn't even speaking to him anymore. The Earth King didn't want to help his people? That was bad. He felt his eyes darting back and forth. Helpless to change a man so powerful as the King. His eyes began to tear up. He should speak before any more came.

"Tarala," Suhnd started, nearly choking on his voice before clearing his throat. "How," he thought for words and started again. "Could you, um, teach me to be a good King?"

Tarala turned back to face him. Tears had met with her eyes, too. But her lips gave way to a slight smile.

"Someday I want to be a king so I can be a good king."

The tall girl laughed as she wiped her eyes with her palms. She nodded. "If you want to be a king, you need to know how to serve the people of this village first."

Suhnd looked around him, to the moo-goats and the fields around her father's barn. He understood why he was there.


	6. Chapter 6

She couldn't hide her shaking legs much longer. Let alone keep her voice steady. But she still held her gaze, looking into the eyes of the Avatar. The most powerful bender Krit had ever seen.

The Avatar, Kyoshi, sat in the arms of a strong man. Her head looked heavy as her wide eyes bored into the ground. Her chest breathed deep. Whatever just happened to her had taken a toll.

It was said that the Avatar could effortlessly bend all elements at once. But to bend gravity, Krit would have never guessed. The Avatar seemed without an explanation for what she had done, but it was obvious. Krit would allow the Avatar to catch her breath before convincing them all.

"Gravity?" Not the Avatar this time, but a smaller, more feminine voice that spoke.

Krit slowly rose from her knee to her full height and turned to face her. So the girl she had attacked was a friend of the Avatar. _Ha. Mistakes_. The girl was probably younger than Krit, and most definitely more beautiful. Krit could admit it, as long as she didn't have to use words. The beautiful girl was too short, anyways, standing next to the tall staff she had whapped at Krit with. And did it really matter now that they all knew that Krit could take her in a fight? But, _gravity_ girl, yeah.

"I'm an earthbender that lives in the trees," Krit explained.

Bam. The confused expression that wrinkled the girl's precious face hit exactly as Krit had expected. One corner of the girl's lips seemed to tug at her eye, while her other eyebrow raised. _May as well call me a facebender_. Time for more.

"It's a great story, I'll tell you what," Krit teased as she flicked the air with her short fingernails and glanced away for a moment. "But the point is, 'How can an earthbender feel at home off the ground?', you wonder."

 _Dun, dun, dun. I'll tell you_.

"Gravity."

The pretty face twitched in confusion again. Krit tried not to smirk. Until she did. Then she pointed at the ropes that had bound the pretty girl's feet and stomped. Krit's rock-rope flew into the air and she caught it by one of the stone ends.

"When these rocks are high in the tree, the earth wants to pull them back to itself," _duh_. "It pulls me back. And everything else, too. We're connected to the earth all the time, whether we like it or not."

Krit thought up her next words while she let those ones sink in.

"The ropes of gravity that have a grip on every one of us," Krit said, holding up her rock-rope by a stone on the end of it and letting the other end dangle for dramatic effect, "Avatar Kyoshi has bent them."

Krit turned her back on _Mrs. Pretty_ to face Avatar Kyoshi.

"Every time I bend, that's what I'm focusing on. The gravity that pulls me to the earth. If anyone would know what just happened, it would be me."

Thoughts seemed to flash through the Avatar's deep, green eyes. Perhaps she was trying to understand it. Or, even harder, to believe it. Kyoshi blinked and returned Krit's eye contact. She nodded gently.

"Kyoshi." The man holding the Avatar moved to her side and took her large hands in his. "Is that what happened?"

The Avatar only breathed. To be fair, Krit could see how it would be a hard question.

"Could you try to stand?" He asked her.

The Avatar's head tilted and looked at him. He seemed to understand her like magic, nodding at Kyoshi's empty glances. The man slung Kyoshi's arm around his shoulder and slowly helped her to her feet. She was huge. Tall, strong, and awesome. This man sure must be a keeper to be with the Avatar.

"Krit," He said. The man's voice was strong, and as broad as Kyoshi was big. "My name is Dahst. Thank you for welcoming us into your forest."

Krit couldn't keep her smirk from mirroring his as she accepted his outstretched hand to shake it with all she had. Whoa. Dahst's strong arms weren't overly muscular, but his grip told her that this guy was even stronger than he looked. She tried not to blush and wondered if Guoyo was still too busy to look. He'd probably feel queasy for an hour after that gravity ride the Avatar put him through. Oh yeah, she should probably let go of this guy's hand.

Her hand reluctantly let go of Dahst's and fluttered through her hair as she cleared her throat. "That's right. My forest. Glad you could make it." _Agh, out-witted_. It didn't happen often.

Kyoshi put a hand on her man's shoulder as her legs seemed to wobble. Dahst turned away from Krit and faced the Avatar.

"I was dreaming that I needed to save you," Kyoshi spoke to Dahst and seemed to ignore everything else.

Dahst took Kyoshi's hands in his before replying. His head made a quick motion towards Krit. "But you did save us. From the attack."

But Kyoshi shook her head. "No. In my dream, you were trapped in a cave and called for me. I tried to come. Then, I woke up out here."

Krit let her hands fall to her waist as they talked. The little details of the Avatar's vision intrigued her. Dahst eyed Kyoshi at her explanation and let silence fill the moment.

Finally, Kyoshi sighed and looked back towards Krit. The Avatar's eyes tilted in curiosity as her gaze fell past Krit's legs. Krit's eyebrows wondered what caught the Avatar's attention and she spun on the spot.

Behind Krit, Skud sat on the ground with his legs crossed and his Pai Sho board set out in front of him on the ground. Krit clenched her fists at her side and flashed Skud her mean eyes.

Looking up towards the corner of her eye, Krit saw the pretty short girl take a step her way, her face as witless as Skud's usual look. When Krit turned back and wound up to kick the board away from the boy, he was standing up and brushing dirt off his legs.

Krit gave up. She threw her hands across her head, fell to her knees, planted her face into the dirt, and groaned.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"Is she okay?" Dahst looked at the younger boy behind Krit as he asked. The boy had been sitting with a Pai Sho board in front of him, but now he had risen to his feet.

The boy met Dahst's eyes and shrugged, offering no words to cover the sound of Krit's grumbling into the dirt.

Dahst could feel his eyebrow lift as he looked down at the skinny girl named Krit that had seemed so composed just moments ago. But he looked up when something moved at his side. Li-Sang had come to stand next to him, and the taller boy who had attacked them was walking their way.

"Don't worry about her," the boy said in a flat tone. "Krit isn't very, um," he put a hand on his chin as he turned from Dahst and looked down at Krit, "easy to explain."

At the boy's words, Krit stopped groaning and spit. She pounded a fist into the dirt and the tall boy leapt sideways as the ground underneath him lurched. He looked back to Dahst as he landed safely and lifted his eyebrows high into his forehead, looking rather impressed with himself. Dahst chuckled at the thought of what life must be like for this stranger.

The boy replied with a smile and reached out a hand. "The name's Guoyo."

Dahst shook the boy's hand tight, but let up when his grip felt too powerful.

"And this is Skud, Krit's little brother," Guoyo said, pointing at the shorter boy who was back on the ground with his Pai Sho board set up once again.

"Oh," Skud said, and scrambled to collect the Pai Sho tiles from the board. Then he gave up on that and sheepishly smiled at Dahst from where he sat. "Uh, hi."

Guoyo spoke to Dahst again. "If you haven't guessed it already, we live in the forest. Mostly. There are a couple small villages between here and Gaoling that we can stay in when we need to."

"Do you visit Gaoling often?" Dahst asked. Perhaps this little group of rebels could lead their way. They would need to visit Gaoling if they wanted to sail around the Earth Kingdom mainland and into Ba Sing Se. He looked to Kyoshi to see what she thought about this.

"We are from Gaoling," was Guoyo's reply, spoken even though Dahst had looked away. "There's more bandits that way. We don't go back often."

As Dahst looked to his wife, he saw Kyoshi's eyes fixed on a point in midair. Maybe she would rather take her time before resuming their journey after what happened that morning.

Dahst noticed that Kyoshi held a small, round small stone between her thumbs that he hadn't seen before. He took a step towards her and craned his neck. This was odd, and she was more important than giving Guoyo his attention.

The small boy, Skud, had risen to his feet and stepped towards Kyoshi as well. He looked up at her hands and held out one of his own. A Pai Sho tile sat in his palm. Kyoshi seemed to snap back into the present and knelt down to inspect it.

Dahst looked down into Kyoshi's hand as she held it out evenly next to Skud's. The shape of a flower was finely chiseled into the face of the stone Kyoshi held. The same shape of the flower etched into Skud's Pai Sho tile. The boy uprooted his gaze from the matching tiles to look Kyoshi in the eye.

"A Jasmine tile. Is it your favorite?" He asked.

"Jasmine?" Kyoshi spoke softly.

Dahst wondered what this little stone meant to Kyoshi if she had seemingly been carrying it in her sleeve this whole time without him even knowing. But even she sounded unsure of what it was.

"I haven't played Pai Sho in many years." Kyoshi glanced up and met Dahst's eyes before addressing Skud, as if to say that she heard his unspoken questions. "I carved this stone while meditating in these woods. I assumed it was a Lotus flower. A symbol of wisdom."

Skud shook his head and laughed a little. "A White Lotus tile? I don't even know if I still have any of those. But they do represent wisdom. A risky kind of wisdom, if you ask me."

"What about Jasmine?" Dahst asked the boy.

"Hope."

Dahst's eyes widened as they looked at the mouth that answered his question. Kyoshi's mouth, hanging open slightly, was quickly covered by her hand. Her eyes met Dahst's and wouldn't let go. _Hope_. The answer must have come from somewhere deep within her.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

The tall boy called Guoyo knelt beside Krit, the girl he called hard to explain. Li-Sang was currently inclined to agree. She allowed herself to step away and join Kyoshi and Dahst.

The Avatar was still dazed from her gravity-bending sleepwalk. Of course, so was Li-Sang, though less visibly so. She couldn't stop it. That feeling of being forced to the ground with an invisible hand was digging up horrible memories of horrible days. The memories that were buried after finding refuge under the wing of the Avatar.

Dahst welcomed Li-Sang to his side with a nod as he put an arm around Kyoshi to help her lean on him.

"Kyoshi and I need to talk. We won't be long," Dahst said. He glanced over Li-Sang's shoulder and met her eyes again. "If they are from Gaoling, I think it would be best to have them lead us there. Could you see if they are willing to join us?"

"I-," Li-Sang felt her hands quiver at hearing Dahst's request.

She nearly jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. But it was Kyoshi's. The Avatar looked into her eyes, and Li-Sang couldn't look away. "I understand, Li-Sang. But there is no need to be afraid. We will be right here."

"Thank you, Kyoshi." Li-Sang wrapped her arms around Kyoshi's waist. She could do anything if Kyoshi believed in her.

Li-Sang turned to towards the strangers. Strangers that had attacked them. Strangers that were friendly? She chuckled at the thought as she bent down to pick up the combat staff and approached the strange, forest dwelling trio.

Krit was sitting on the ground, and she turned away from the two boys as Li-Sang approached. Her bright eyes rolled and she muttered something before looking up at Li-Sang. Behind her, the younger boy was now sitting with his Pai Sho board, begging Guoyo to play against him.

"Uh, hi Krit," Li-Sang said. With one hand, she grabbed her other arm and tried to think of what to say.

Krit stifled a small laugh as she raised a thin eyebrow at Li-Sang. "Yup, that's my name alright."

Li-Sang swallowed. Wooden tiles clicked onto the solid Pai Sho board behind Krit as the boys began playing. Li-Sang rooted herself in the moment. She had to befriend them. For Kyoshi.

"I'm Li-Sang," she finally said. "It's nice to meet you."

Krit's arm shot up, the ground lifted, and she was eye to eye with Li-Sang, sitting cross-legged on an instant earthen stool. Li-Sang flinched backwards just for a moment at the surprise, and Krit smirked. "Thanks. Li-Sang, pretty little friend of the Avatar," Krit said in a tone more sarcastic than Li-Sang was comfortable with. The thin girl held out her hand. Li-Sang blinked, breathed, then took it in her own for a quick second before letting go.

The pillar of earth beneath Krit retreated into the ground, and Krit was on her feet. Now Li-Sang had to look up to meet her eyes. She was nearly taller than the staff Li-Sang held upright in her left hand.

"So, you earthbend a lot?" Li-Sang was pretty sure she didn't have to ask.

"You breathe. I bend," Krit said.

Li-Sang felt her eyebrow twist itself in confusion again, and the same smirk returned to Krit's face. The thin girl stomped and pulled her palm through the air. Another one of her stone-rope weapons flew into her hand, wrapped itself around her torso, and joined the existing rope that was already at her waist. Krit met Li-Sang's eyes and crossed her arms.

"Rock-ropes. You should get some." Krit flicked a fingernail into the air as she said it.

"Oh, so that's actually what you call them?" Li-Sang expected her to have a less obvious name for them.

Krit yanked a thumb up and over her shoulder. "Yeah. Guoyo named them."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Guoyo said from behind them, looking up from his game with Skud, whose hands flew into the air.

"I win!" Skud proclaimed.

"You can't win," Guoyo said in his flat voice with one hand on his forehead and another held out over the board. "It's only the third turn. And you need at least four tiles on the board to win. Aren't you like a genius at this game?"

Krit's eyebrows flew high, and her eyes followed them. She turned and stomped, pulling her elbows in and down. The ground hurled the Pai Sho board into the air. As Krit finished turning around with her next step, she punched and chopped. A slice of earth struck the board in midair, cracking it into pieces. Guoyo gasped and jumped backwards, while Skud calmly started gathering the scattered game tiles.

"Don't worry, Guoyo, that was my backup board."

"BACKUP BOARD?!" Skud's calm must fuel Krit's chaos. As the girl slapped both sides of her own face before leaning her head into her hand, Li-Sang felt proud and a little sad that she was able to predict the outburst.

Skud looked back at Guoyo. "My second backup board, actually."

Krit growled and yanked at the hectic hair above her ears, then pounded her forehead with her palm. She stepped aside and sliced her hands upwards from the ground, and a wall as tall as Kyoshi separated her from everyone else.

Li-Sang's mouth fell as open as her eyes. She blinked. And blinked. This girl was crazy.

She turned around to see Kyoshi and Dahst at the far end of the campsite, both with similar frozen expressions on their faces. Li-Sang forced their mission into her mind. They needed to get to Gaoling and find a ship. She needed to bring it up before Krit just left for good. At least right now she would still be able to hear Li-Sang.

"Hey, Li-Sang." Li-Sang turned to see Guoyo standing. "So, are you three headed to Gaoling?"

What? That was easy. "Well, actually," she began, "we wanted to know if you would lead us there. Could you?"

"Sure," Guoyo replied. Though his voice didn't carry much excitement, he wore a kind smile. "We'd love to."

Krit's wall rumbled and crumbled. She walked right through the falling dust, looking at nobody but Guoyo. She wrapped the collar of his shirt in her fists and yanked his face into hers.

"What are you thinking, Guoyo? Gaoling?" Her forehead nearly pressed against his.

"We'll be with the Avatar!"

"Fine." Krit dropped his neck and she turned to Li-Sang, arms crossed. "Skud! We're escorting the Avatar to Gaoling."

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"May I have this game?"

Raivun nearly jumped in his seat. He hadn't noticed that someone had joined him at the table. Upon seeing his guest, Raivun tried to shake his thoughts and focus.

"Please," he said, motioning for the stranger to take a seat.

The large, finely dressed man nodded, sat, and hung his hat on the cane he held next to his chair, revealing his untidy graying hair. He took his time to inspect the tiles set in stacks at his side of the board. The older man moved one stack of tiles, rested his hand beneath his bushy mustache, and repeated.

Raivun exhaled. Business at the Shop Of Four Nations was slower today than he expected, which was perfect. It gave him time to think, plot, and plan while working. So he sat in the corner of the shop at the Pai Sho table where it was his custom to host games with visitors who wished to play. And without customers, it was his space to sit and think. Until this curious old stranger arrived.

"Welcome to the Shop Of Four Nations, sir," Raivun greeted as the man looked up from his tiles, ready to begin the game.

"Greetings, young man," he replied. A hint of a smile showed beneath his mustache. "Always a good day to meet another Pai Sho host."

"Ah, it has been some time, indeed, since another Pai Sho host has come here and challenged me." Raivun's curiosity grew as he replied. The old man smiled.

"Yes, I believe that. There are too few hosts in this city for how large it is, it seems."

Something in the old man's voice set Raivun on edge as he met his eyes. It was as if this man had been looking for him.

Suddenly more aware of his surroundings, Raivun noticed movement at the front of the store. More customers arrived. A young couple. Always a good sign. Raivun's assistant, Shan, quickly greeted them. Raivun drew his attention back to the man across from him and smiled.

"The guest has the first move."

The man gave a small nod and reached for a tile. He leaned in and placed it on the centermost point of the board.

A Rose tile. Raivun's eyes froze. His heart raced against his mind.

No Pai Sho games started this way. Anyone else may have seen this old man as clueless, but Raivun knew better. That Rose tile symbolized the secrets they would share. The handshake had begun. Raivun thought for the words to say. The ones his father made sure Raivun had memorized before he left and never returned. The ones that he was told could help him find a friend in a time of need.

Raivun had said goodbye to his father on a cold Fall day. The same Pai Sho board he had been sitting at that morning, he sat at today. He remembered placing a Rose tile in the center of the board as his father instructed. Now, Raivun needed to repeat the words his father had said all those years ago. The words that echoed in his head, begging for answers. Perhaps now they would come.

"I see you favor the White Lotus gambit." Raivun looked up and met the old man's eyes. He cupped his hands together and gave a small bow to the man across the table. "Few still cling to the ancient ways."

The old man across the table matched Raivun's memory of himself. Returning the bow, he said, "Those who do can always find a friend."

Raivun gulped. Focused. "Then let us play."

He glanced at his stacks of tiles and reached for the first one he needed. A Lily tile. He let the memory of his father placing the pieces on the board in just the right order lead him. This handshake of sorts was something Raivun used to practice. But it had been years. He placed the tile in front of him and reached for the next while the older man placed one of his own.

With someone at the table with him mirroring his every move, placing the tiles onto the board was easier than he remembered. Piece by piece, with each click against the board, Raivun smiled as he placed the tiles along the edge of the board, one on the left side, then the right, staggering them up or down one point away from the last when needed. Until it was finished.

Raivun sat back in his chair and held the board in his eyes. The tiles on his side of the board sat perfectly placed. They angled up, to the side, in, and then out again, meeting perfectly with the older man's tiles on the other side of the board to form the shape of a flower. The White Lotus had been opened.


	7. Chapter 7

"Please, tell me what brings you here." The door latched closed.

"Words through the Order have been quite thin in these years of civil war."

The old man held his cane steady while taking a seat. Silence paced the room. Until the graceful low humming of a tsungi horn patted against the outside of the office door from the shop. A smile thinned Raivun's lips, but his eyes stayed on the old man.

"But not two days ago, I received a message. Sent from someone, from somewhere, but I wouldn't know who or where." The old man sighed, stray whiskers in his mustache twitching in his breath. "I've known there was a well-respected member of the Order here in Ba Sing Se, heard so years and years ago. Before Chin's war started up. But I reckon you'd've been just a boy back then."

"Indeed," Raivun replied. The next words stuck in his throat before leaving. "The man you had heard about would have been my father."

The old man eyed him. The tsungi horn droned on in the background. "How long have you been a member of the White Lotus?"

"Honestly, I am not much of a member. My father initiated me before he left for the war. He wanted me to be always able to find a friend. As if he knew he wouldn't be coming back."

The man gave a nod and another sigh. "If he initiated you, that's not all his reason was. Your father trusted you greatly to have done such a thing."

"Indeed. I believe he did, sir." But Raivun was ready to let that subject be addressed less directly. He bowed to the man. "My name is Raivun Jing. It's a true pleasure to meet you."

From his seat, the old man smiled and gave a short bow of his own. "Xeng Ka. Pleased to meet you, Raivun."

"So, what was the message you wished to discuss?"

"Well, I figured if I met a high ranking member here in Ba Sing Se, I could get more information. I heard a rumor of the downfall of Chin The Conqueror."

 _Conqueror._ Perhaps the Order of the White Lotus supported the pathetic Earth King. Raivun had to win this man over. He needed to impress. "The rumor is true, sir," he replied.

The old man's face grew curious. Raivun let a smile tug one side of his mouth, but not much.

"I have many sources, Xeng Ka. Indeed, Chin," Raivun tried not to pause as he said it, "The Conqueror, has been struck down by the Avatar."

"Kyoshi." Xeng Ka's eyes flashed at the name. "Yes, it has been some time since I have heard word of her. This is good news, to be sure."

Raivun turned his head in case he grit his teeth visibly. This was no good news. "Many people in this city would disagree with the conclusion we have about this matter."

As the man eyed him, Raivun simply absorbed his gaze. Until he was in charge of the moment.

"Where are you from, Xeng Ka?" Raivun let his question come in a light, friendly voice.

"North," he replied. "A small village near the foot of the mountains."

"And did you pass through the Lower Ring to find me here?"

"Of course."

"I trust that you have a good life in your village, Xeng Ka, however cold it may be," Raivun said with a smile. "But the people in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, however, do not have the luxury of a good life."

Xeng Ka's eyes narrowed at Raivun's words. Perfect.

"The people here saw Chin as a liberator," Raivun continued, "and, indeed, there are many sympathizers to his cause. People see the Earth King as oppressing them endlessly. Herding his people like cattle. Selfishly hoarding riches for himself while plugging his ears to the cries of the people so as not to hear of their needs. With Chin defeated, I admit I am afraid these people will be broken even further than they already have been."

"Chin was a tyrant," came Xeng Ka's quick response. He rose to his feet to meet Raivun's gaze. The man's words spat into his mustache, guarding Raivun from the onslaught. "Amassing armies for himself to bring him to power. All over the continent. He's responsible for the destruction and violation of people across the land."

"Please, sir," Raivun replied softly to Xeng Ka's chubby finger that had been jabbed towards his face. "What is done is done. Chin is defeated, and I am merely suggesting that we still have a problem on our hands. And I believe the Order of the White Lotus must rise to this occasion."

The old man backed away from Raivun. "What are you saying?"

"I believe that those who were sympathetic to Chin The Conqueror have some truth to their claims. The Earth King's dereliction of duty allowed Chin to rise to power in the first place. And his oppressive regime in the city is something I have witnessed firsthand. The people need help."

Xeng Ka took his place in the chair once again. His head hung, then lifted. As he met Raivun's eyes, he nodded. "It is as you say. The Order of The White Lotus must rise to this occasion."

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

"It is good to see you again, Avatar Kyoshi."

Her eyes opened and relief filled her. The spirit of Avatar Yangchen sat cross-legged on a tree stump in front of Kyoshi.

"Though I do wonder why it is me you have chosen to speak with as opposed to Kuruk."

"Now that I have lived longer than Kuruk, I believe you will have more guidance to offer, Avatar Yangchen. I respect advice from you more than others." Kyoshi gave a slow nod as she addressed the past Avatar.

"Very curious that you come to an airbender for guidance, Kyoshi, as you truly are an earthbender at heart."

Yangchen's voice echoed strength, but her eyes held the warmth that Kyoshi remembered. The same warmth that Kyoshi had come back to for guidance many times. The past seemed to lose its distance as Kyoshi met Yangchen's eyes.

The past Avatar continued. "But I am glad to assist you. Much has changed since we last spoke."

"I've had visions. A cave at the foot of mountains. And storms." _Gravity_. Kyoshi swallowed the word before saying it. "I bent gravity, Yangchen. And I don't understand it."

"As an airbender, I lived among people that dreamed of detaching from worldly cares," Yangchen began in her broad, soothing voice. "But this principle taken to its extreme can be a dangerous thing. People have grown cold and disconnected, to the point of hurting others to fulfill their own needs of separation. But true detachment must not be selfish, but selfless."

"I do not see what this means for me," Kyoshi replied. She let her head down and closed her eyes, trying to put the pieces together.

"While my experiences have shown me those who have pursued detachment to the extreme, I believe you have done the opposite. You are increasingly attached to the world, Avatar Kyoshi. To some degree the Avatar will always be bound to the world, but I sense that a lack of balance has led to turmoil inside you. Turmoil may have unlocked this great power, and sometimes great power comes at a great price."

When Kyoshi looked up, Yangchen's spirit began to fade.

"Meditate on the mysteries inside yourself. Answers to our fiercest turmoil are often found deep within us." Though Yangchen's final words hung in the trees, she was gone.

The light of the setting sun seeped through the trees and into Kyoshi's lap. Above her crossed legs, her hands rested together, holding the carved Jasmine flower stone. A mystery that came from within herself, as Yangchen said. Kyoshi ran her fingernail across the chiseled shape of the flower and closed her eyes.

Inhale, exhale, focus. _Jasmine_. The world seemed to swirl around her as she meditated, lost as to what was up and down. The past seemed to collide with the present. The glow of the Avatar State rushed upon her.

 _Kyoshi could see the same glow in the distance, in the mouth of a cave far away, through rain, trees, and rolling hills. Mountain peaks shot upward behind the cave at their feet. Thunder boomed and light lit the sky in sporadic streaks._

 _Glowing eyes floated out of the cave's mouth, the face of a short, shrouded figure. Hair whipped across the glowing eyes in the gale. A woman. She stomped, and the ground crumbled beneath her feet, shattering the floor around the mountains. As she raised her hands, the trees bowed down, branches and thick trunks cracking as they bent._

 _The wind roared, and lightning bolts flashed through the mountains by the thousands, illuminating the world in a rumbling siren of light._

 _The woman's glowing eyes seemed to magnify in Kyoshi's vision. Her face bore desolation and desperation, covered in dirt and ash. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Rivers of pain that wreaked havoc on the world around her._

Kyoshi gasped as the forest returned on all sides. Wet ground pressed against her face. She righted herself and breathed as if she hadn't in minutes.

Between her hands, a single wet drop fell from the face of the Jasmine stone.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

One whole day had passed, amidst the greens and browns of the forest and the blues and whites of the sky. Dahst couldn't have led the group better than the strange band of earthbenders that were now leading the way. He expected to arrive at Gaoling within the next day's journey. From there, they would find passage on a ship to sail straight into Ba Sing Se and confront the Earth King. Dahst smiled to himself as he imagined what Kyoshi's confrontation with the Earth King might look like. He would find out soon enough.

As they began heading east the day before, Dahst quickly concluded that the chaotic Krit was much more subdued when she was in charge. In directing their group, she actually proved to be a knowledgable leader. Dahst was impressed at her quick thinking and determination. Krit was going to get them all to Gaoling no matter what, allowing them to stop only when Kyoshi felt the need to meditate in a quiet spot in the woods.

"Up and at 'em, lily livers!" Krit screamed from the trees. "We're heading out!" Krit's voice bounced through the campsite and into Dahst and Kyoshi's tent.

Faint groans followed her words. Apparently the boys Krit traveled with didn't quite have her energy.

Dahst smiled at Kyoshi. "Looks like another great day for travel. We'll cover a lot of ground today."

Kyoshi sat up from their bedroll. Behind her, Dahst noticed the small Jasmine stone she had carved sitting near her headpiece. She hadn't let it leave her side. Intriguing.

"Did you have those same dreams again?"

Kyoshi looked at him. Her eyes fluttered between each of Dahst's. She nodded.

Dahst rooted himself at his wife's side and put his arm around her. She melted against him. He'd be her shelter any day.

"I'm ready." Kyoshi said. "Ready to face the Earth King and have him join our effort to restore peace across the nation."

Dahst eyed Kyoshi. The Earth King's aid would not be so easy to acquire. She was ready to go back home more than anything. And ready to understand the power she had unearthed and was now being haunted by every night.

"The King will help us," Kyoshi added. "He will have no other choice."

"Well then," Dahst said. He narrowed his eyes and tried to feel what she felt. He imagined the scab that had been ripped open after pulling away from home. And the guilt she must feel for wanting to leave her duty as the Avatar behind. "The sooner we start, the better. Let's go see Gaoling."

Li-Sang was there to greet them as they left their tent. She wore her same old charming smile, and still held Dahst's trusty staff at her side. Perhaps he'd never get that back.

Overhead, Krit rounded up her boys and herded them to the ground. Before long, they were off. Gaoling was due east, so they headed towards the warming morning sun as it trickled through leaves that waved in the breeze. Dahst breathed in deep. This was the best kind of air.

Krit knew the forest well. Either that, or she could see paths through the trees as an instinct. The journey went without Kyoshi requesting to stop and meditate. Dahst hoped she was content with her meditations the previous day and not ignoring the need for more. But there would be time to meditate on the journey across the sea to Ba Sing Se. Gaoling could come first.

As morning turned to afternoon that threatened to sink into evening, Dahst hoped they were nearing the city. As the sun climbed downward behind them, dark clouds crept in from the east. Muffled shouts of thunder were thrown from the distance. They may not beat the rain to Gaoling, but they would get there in time to find shelter from the worst of the incoming storm.

Footsteps echoed Dahst's thoughts. Li-Sang's pace broke into a jog as she passed him and headed towards the front of the group. Kyoshi's stride lengthened to match Dahst's. He glanced sideways. Her eyes had narrowed slightly. She was thinking, or worried.

Ahead of them, Li-Sang nodded to Krit and turned back to fall in step beside Kyoshi. "Not too much farther now. Krit's confident we'll reach Gaoling by sundown."

"I don't doubt that she's confident," Dahst quipped with a smile. "But that doesn't give us much time."

He was right. The sun sank fast, and the dark of night grew thick under black clouds. Tiny drips of rain flicked against Dahst's forehead and nose. Thunder boomed in the distance and the ground rumbled in response.

But Krit stood frozen. Her legs spread, knees bent, and arms held out at her side as if ready to draw a weapon. She turned back to Dahst and Kyoshi. The girl's eyes, wide and green, seemed to shake as all her bones stood still. Fear rattled through Dahst's spine.

"We're in trouble. Us three will climb to lookout," Krit whispered in a hurry and pointed at Kyoshi. "You need to run."

Krit's rock-ropes hit her hands and she was gone. Skud followed Guoyo up another tree. Li-Sang gasped. Dahst met Kyoshi's eyes and nodded. She took off running.

Dahst grabbed Li-Sang's arm and their feet pounded against the dirt. It'd be mud soon. The rain seemed to get wetter as they followed Kyoshi through the woods. Krit and her gang flew through the trees ahead, zigzagging from branch to branch.

Just as Krit was getting too far ahead of them to see in the twilight, she landed on a branch with a thump and stayed in a crouched position. Her head scanned back and forth, then turned back to Kyoshi. Krit waved to the left and swung her arm around. She looked to Guoyo and Skud and pointed straight ahead.

"Head north," Dahst said only loud enough for Kyoshi to hear. "We'll swing north while they keep going."

Kyoshi looked up to Krit and nodded. Krit nodded in return and resumed swinging through the trees with Guoyo and Skud in tow.

"Go," Dahst ushered. "They'll distract any trouble and we'll be out of the way."

So they did, heading northeast at first. Li-Sang was panting after a minute or two of running again. Dahst stayed at her side and let Kyoshi run ahead of them to lead the way. As they turned due north, a scream fell from the distance, followed by rumbling thunder. Or something worse than thunder. Kyoshi's feet rooted to the spot. She turned to Dahst with wide eyes. She had to go help. Dahst nodded. Kyoshi leapt into the trees.

"Follow me," Dahst said to Li-Sang. "We won't be far behind her."

They started east. The ground rumbled as lightning flashed in the distance. Kyoshi disappeared into the woods. Dahst kept the strongest pace he could with Li-Sang in stride behind him. His gut felt uneasy as he ran. Leaping past tree after tree, he could still see the look on Krit's face in his mind. Someone was out here, and they may have gotten to her already. The ground rumbled again.

Kyoshi was gaining ground ahead of them. In the dark of stormy night, Dahst saw a glimmer of light as Kyoshi pulled out her war fans and snapped them open. Her silhouette disappeared into the shadows once more. Then, the familiar sound of boulders ripping from the earth tore through the air. Crash. Footsteps, a dozen or so. He sprinted forward. Fire blazed through the air ahead, drawing silhouettes of bodies closing in around Kyoshi. A torrential wind knocked him off his feet and he saw bodies fall in the distance. The ground shook as if men were closing around him as well. That meant…

 _Li-Sang_. His instincts begged him to protect her.

He turned in time to see her block a blow and dodge another. Two men had attacked from behind. Dahst shot upright and ran. When he hit full speed, he ducked and crashed his shoulder into the chest of one of the bandits, driving him into the trunk of a solid tree. Dahst tucked and rolled past the man as he slid to the ground. Boulders tore from the ground, and Dahst spun away. He stood, but was knocked back by flying earth.

Li-Sang screamed and her footsteps pounded. Dahst rose to his feet under flashing storm clouds overhead. Past a handful of trees, the earthbender who had attacked him sent another barrage their way, narrowly missing the girl. She stumbled and landed on her hands and knees a short distance away, panting for breath, clutching his old staff. The earthbender stomped and punched hard, and pillars of earth erupted from the ground headed directly for Li-Sang. Dahst ran. Racing the rock pillars as they broke the ground between the girl and her assailant.

It all happened so fast. Dahst lunged for Li-Sang. His hands gently lifted her out of harm's way when he reached her, and he took the attack in her place. The bolting pillars of jagged rock smashed into his leg, his chest, neck, head. His breath was gone. Before his eyes closed, he glimpsed Li-Sang, holding his old combat staff to her chest. Perhaps he'd never get that back.

÷÷÷§÷÷÷

The world grew heavy and silent. Kyoshi screamed, but her voice fell to the ground. _Dahst_. Light of strewn flaming branches flickered against him through the trees and rain between them. His body lay still. Gravity held him. She had drawn the men away from Krit, but it wasn't enough.

Kyoshi knelt and dug her hands into the ground. She bolted forward. The monster responsible wouldn't get away. Her boots sank into the dirt. Trees circled around her and the wind lashed out violently from all directions. Roots clawed at her toes and caught her, and gravity pulled her face into the ground. Thick thunder crashed through the air.

Though she fell, she could see the monster. The man who attacked Dahst. He lay flat against the dirt through howling trees ahead, knocked down by the twisting gravity of her pain. And Kyoshi could feel him. She clenched her jaw and shut her eyes and she could feel it all. The gravity pulling on every drop of rain, every bending branch. Every limb and bone in the monster's body. All of it, tethers that were hers to bend. Ropes, binding everything that was hers to break.

Kyoshi tightened her fist and tugged at the tether. The monster's grunts spilled through the heavy wind. Yes. She had all the power. And he would have no more.

She pulled, and his head wrenched backwards. His eyes, terrified and wet, met Kyoshi's. She clenched her fists and wrenched her arms into the drenched dirt. The monster's body twisted and cracked and howled, and disappeared into the muddy ground. She didn't stop until she was sure it would stay.


End file.
